Gem State Wire

There were 14 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Idaho in the week ending Dec. 17, making up five% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 17, there were 280 deaths in the state. 18.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.9% were from cancer and 5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 15.4% of deaths were from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

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	51	18.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	50	17.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	20	7.1
Alzheimer's disease	19	6.8
Influenza and pneumonia	14	5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	14	5
Cerebrovascular diseases	13	4.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.6
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3.6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	43	15.4