Centennial State News

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Colorado in the week ending January 1, making up less than 1.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in Colorado, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending January 1, there were 518 deaths in the state. 15.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.4 percent were from cancer and 29.2 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.8 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	80	15.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	80	15.4
Heart disease	78	15.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	71	13.7
Alzheimer's disease	35	6.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	32	6.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	17	3.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.9
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	61	11.8