Gem State Wire

There were 42 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Idaho in the week ending Feb. 5, making up 19.8 percent of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Feb. 5, there were 212 deaths in the state. 17.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.6 percent were from cancer and 42 percent were from COVID-19.

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)	47	22.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	42	19.8
Heart disease	37	17.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	33	15.6
Alzheimer's disease	12	5.7
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.7
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 4.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 4.7