Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Idaho in the week ending Dec. 24, 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 Dec. 24, there were 265 deaths in the state. 22.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20% were from cancer and 3.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 13.2% 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	60	22.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	53	20
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	18	6.8
Alzheimer's disease	16	6
Cerebrovascular diseases	13	4.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	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

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	35	13.2