Centennial State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Colorado in the week ending July 8, making up less than 1.2% of total deaths by all causes in Colorado, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 8, there were 816 deaths in the state. 20.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.2% were from cancer and less than 1.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.9% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	165	20.2
Heart disease	164	20.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	41	5
Alzheimer's disease	31	3.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	23	2.8
Diabetes mellitus	15	1.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	12	1.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	81	9.9