Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Idaho in the week ending Oct. 8, making up less than 4.5% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Oct. 8, there were 220 deaths in the state. 19.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.5% were from cancer and 4.5% 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)	43	19.5
Heart disease	43	19.5
Alzheimer's disease	18	8.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	17	7.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	13	5.9
Diabetes mellitus	11	5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	10	4.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.5