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 29, 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 29, there were 782 deaths in the state. 17.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.8% were from cancer and 1.4% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.6% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	155	19.8
Heart disease	139	17.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	38	4.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	37	4.7
Alzheimer's disease	30	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	21	2.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	11	1.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	91	11.6