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 15, making up less than 1.3% of total deaths by all causes in Colorado, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 15, there were 781 deaths in the state. 18.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.7% were from cancer and less than 1.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.6% 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	147	18.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	138	17.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	47	6
Cerebrovascular diseases	47	6
Alzheimer's disease	35	4.5
Diabetes mellitus	15	1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	11	1.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	75	9.6