The Sconi

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Wisconsin in the week ending Aug. 5, making up less than 1% of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 5, there were 1,009 deaths in the state. 21.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.8% were from cancer and less than 1% 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)	240	23.8
Heart disease	220	21.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	49	4.9
Alzheimer's disease	42	4.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	40	4
Diabetes mellitus	25	2.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	18	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 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	89	8.8