Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Idaho in the week ending Oct. 22, making up less than 4.1% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Oct. 22, there were 244 deaths in the state. 23.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.6% were from cancer and less than 4.1% 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	58	23.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	43	17.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	20	8.2
Alzheimer's disease	14	5.7
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.1
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 4.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 4.1