The Sconi

There were 16 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Wisconsin during the week ending March 26, 2022, a 44.8% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending March 26, 2022, there were 716 deaths in the state. 23.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20% were from cancer and 2.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 13.8% 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	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 19, 2022
Heart disease	170	171
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	143	163
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	45	29
Alzheimer's disease	28	37
Cerebrovascular diseases	24	41
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	21	11
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	16	29
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	20
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	21

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 19, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	99	94