The Sconi

There were 40 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Wisconsin in the week ending July 22, making up 4.1% of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 22, there were 970 deaths in the state. 23.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.6% were from cancer and less than 1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.1% 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
Heart disease	229	23.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	210	21.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	41	4.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	40	4.1
Alzheimer's disease	39	4
Diabetes mellitus	17	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	88	9.1