The Sconi

There were 42 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Wisconsin in the week ending August 21, making up 3.7 percent of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 1,142 deaths in the state. 19.9 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.3 percent were from cancer and 10.9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.9 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	227	19.9
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	220	19.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	73	6.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	51	4.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	46	4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	42	3.7
Alzheimer's disease	35	3.1
Diabetes mellitus	31	2.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	15	1.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 0.9

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	79	6.9