Old North News

There were 32 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in North Carolina in the week ending August 21, making up 2.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in North Carolina, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 1,093 deaths in the state. 12.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 12.7 percent were from cancer and 65.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 4.8 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)	365	33.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	353	32.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	139	12.7
Heart disease	133	12.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	32	2.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	26	2.4
Diabetes mellitus	25	2.3
Alzheimer's disease	23	2.1
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 0.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 0.9

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	53	4.8