The Sconi

There were 18 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Wisconsin during the week ending April 2, 2022, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 2, 2022, there were 753 deaths in the state. 22.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.9% were from cancer and 5.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.7% 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 April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Heart disease	167	175
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	165	149
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	39	47
Alzheimer's disease	29	28
Cerebrovascular diseases	26	25
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	26	16
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	18	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	17	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	14	21
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	73	100