Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Idaho in the week ending Aug. 20, making up less than 3.8% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 20, there were 260 deaths in the state. 18.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.3% were from cancer and 6.2% 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)	58	22.3
Heart disease	48	18.5
Alzheimer's disease	18	6.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	17	6.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	16	6.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	10	3.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.8
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3.8