The Sconi

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Wisconsin in the week ending Sept. 17, making up less than 1.3% of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Sept. 17, there were 758 deaths in the state. 21.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23% were from cancer and 5.7% 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)	174	23
Heart disease	165	21.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	40	5.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	37	4.9
Alzheimer's disease	26	3.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	26	3.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	17	2.2
Diabetes mellitus	15	2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.3