Old North News

There were 52 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in North Carolina in the week ending June 5, making up 10.7 percent of total deaths by all causes in North Carolina, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 5, there were 488 deaths in the state. 14.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.2 percent were from cancer and 20.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 5.3 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	79	16.2
Heart disease	72	14.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	52	10.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	48	9.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	21	4.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	20	4.1
Diabetes mellitus	12	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	26	5.3