The Sconi

There were 44 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Wisconsin in the week ending July 15, making up 4.2% of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 15, there were 1,058 deaths in the state. 21.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.8% were from cancer and less than 0.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.8% 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)	231	21.8
Heart disease	228	21.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	49	4.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	44	4.2
Alzheimer's disease	37	3.5
Diabetes mellitus	33	3.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	13	1.2
Influenza and pneumonia	10	0.9
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	93	8.8