The Sconi

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Wisconsin in the week ending Oct. 22, making up less than 1.2% of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Oct. 22, there were 809 deaths in the state. 22.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.2% were from cancer and 6.3% 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)	180	22.2
Heart disease	180	22.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	60	7.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	45	5.6
Alzheimer's disease	40	4.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	32	4
Diabetes mellitus	23	2.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	19	2.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	12	1.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2