Old North News

There were 80 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in North Carolina during the week ending May 8, 2021, a 12.7% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 8, 2021, there were 420 deaths in the state. 11% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.9% were from cancer and 39.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.7% 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 May 8, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 1, 2021
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	86	85
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	80	71
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	71	59
Heart disease	46	60
Cerebrovascular diseases	20	18
Alzheimer's disease	15	12
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	10
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 8, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 1, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	28	27