Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Idaho in the week ending June 17, making up less than 3.3% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 17, there were 302 deaths in the state. 24.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.2% were from cancer and less than 3.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.9% 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	74	24.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	64	21.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	15	5
Cerebrovascular diseases	15	5
Alzheimer's disease	12	4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.3
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 3.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	30	9.9