Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Idaho in the week ending May 7, making up less than 5.8% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 7, there were 171 deaths in the state. 24.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.5% were from cancer and less than 5.8% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	42	24.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	30	17.5
Alzheimer's disease	12	7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	10	5.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 5.8
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 5.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 5.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 5.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 5.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0