Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Idaho in the week ending July 22, making up less than 3.1% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 22, there were 322 deaths in the state. 18.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.7% were from cancer and less than 3.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.6% 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)	73	22.7
Heart disease	60	18.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	20	6.2
Alzheimer's disease	16	5
Cerebrovascular diseases	11	3.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.1
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 3.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	31	9.6