Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths with influenza and pneumonia listed as the underlying cause reported in Idaho during the week ending July 30, 2022, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 30, 2022, there were 321 deaths in the state. 19.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.6% were from cancer and 11.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 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	Deaths in Week Ending July 30, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending July 23, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	66	73
Heart disease	63	61
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	22	12
Cerebrovascular diseases	18	14
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	16	< 10
Alzheimer's disease	15	17
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	12	18
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending July 30, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending July 23, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	29	28