The Sconi

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Wisconsin in the week ending July 17, making up less than 1.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 17, there were 951 deaths in the state. 21.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20 percent were from cancer and 1.2 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.3 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	202	21.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	190	20
Cerebrovascular diseases	47	4.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	41	4.3
Alzheimer's disease	32	3.4
Diabetes mellitus	22	2.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	11	1.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	88	9.3