Old North News

There were 81 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in North Carolina in the week ending May 1, making up 22.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in North Carolina, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 1, there were 365 deaths in the state. 14.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 14.2 percent were from cancer and 40.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.1 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	81	22.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	67	18.4
Heart disease	54	14.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	52	14.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	17	4.7
Alzheimer's disease	12	3.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.7
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 2.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 2.7
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	26	7.1