Old North News

There were less than 10 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in North Carolina in the week ending June 19, 2021, making up less than 2% of total deaths by all causes in North Carolina, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 19, 2021, there were 501 deaths in the state. 14.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18% were from cancer and 13% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.2% 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)	90	18
Heart disease	71	14.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	34	6.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	31	6.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	31	6.2
Diabetes mellitus	14	2.8
Alzheimer's disease	12	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	36	7.2