The Sconi

There were 44 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Wisconsin in the week ending August 14, making up 4.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 14, there were 1,056 deaths in the state. 22.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.3 percent were from cancer and 7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.4 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	238	22.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	214	20.3
Alzheimer's disease	50	4.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	46	4.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	44	4.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	37	3.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	28	2.7
Diabetes mellitus	24	2.3
Influenza and pneumonia	18	1.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 0.9

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	110	10.4