The Sconi

There were 40 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Wisconsin in the week ending June 17, making up 3.8% of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 17, there were 1,059 deaths in the state. 20.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.8% were from cancer and less than 0.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.3% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	220	20.8
Heart disease	216	20.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	43	4.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	40	3.8
Alzheimer's disease	39	3.7
Diabetes mellitus	24	2.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	12	1.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 0.9

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	99	9.3