Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Idaho in the week ending July 16, making up less than 4.3% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 16, there were 233 deaths in the state. 17.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.5% were from cancer and 6% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	57	24.5
Heart disease	40	17.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	17	7.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	15	6.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	14	6
Alzheimer's disease	11	4.7
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.3
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.3