Old North News

There were 73 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in North Carolina during the week ending May 22, 2021, a 14.1% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 22, 2021, there were 401 deaths in the state. 9.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 14.2% were from cancer and 35.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.5% 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 22, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 15, 2021
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	73	85
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	70	78
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	57	72
Heart disease	39	65
Cerebrovascular diseases	18	12
Alzheimer's disease	10	15
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	11
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	15

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 15, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	30	25