Yellowhammer Times

There were 24 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Alabama in the week ending June 19, 2021, making up 2.2% of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 19, 2021, there were 1,109 deaths in the state. 23.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.4% were from cancer and 3.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.6% of deaths were from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Studies show doctors and medical examiners may underreport Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related conditions as the underlying cause of death on death certificates, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Once infected, older adults with dementia are likely to develop a more severe and dangerous illness. The diseases which make an older adult more vulnerable to COVID-19 are age-associated chronic conditions, according to the Bright Focus Foundation.

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	263	23.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	215	19.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	63	5.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	52	4.7
Alzheimer's disease	34	3.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	32	2.9
Diabetes mellitus	27	2.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	24	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	21	1.9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	17	1.5

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	73	6.6