The Sconi

There were 14 deaths from nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis reported in Wisconsin in the week ending May 1, making up 1.4 percent of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 1, there were 1,007 deaths in the state. 24.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.7 percent were from cancer and 7.9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.2 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
Heart disease	247	24.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	198	19.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	50	5
Cerebrovascular diseases	43	4.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	37	3.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	30	3
Alzheimer's disease	29	2.9
Diabetes mellitus	27	2.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	14	1.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	73	7.2