Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Idaho in the week ending July 1, making up less than 3.5% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 1, there were 284 deaths in the state. 17.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.3% were from cancer and less than 3.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.6% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	69	24.3
Heart disease	50	17.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	20	7
Cerebrovascular diseases	12	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	10	3.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.5
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 3.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 3.5

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	30	10.6