The Sconi

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Wisconsin in the week ending May 7, making up less than 1.6% of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 7, there were 634 deaths in the state. 24.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.4% were from cancer and 2.2% were from COVID-19.

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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	155	24.4
Heart disease	154	24.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	42	6.6
Alzheimer's disease	27	4.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	27	4.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	14	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.6
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 1.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.6