The Sconi

There were less than 10 deaths with influenza and pneumonia listed as the underlying cause reported in Wisconsin during the week ending May 7, 2022, a decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 7, 2022, there were 705 deaths in the state. 25% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.7% were from cancer and 2.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.6% 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 May 7, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 30, 2022
Heart disease	176	184
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	167	202
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	42	37
Cerebrovascular diseases	31	35
Alzheimer's disease	29	38
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	15	10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	10	13
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	12
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	15
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 7, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 30, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	82	88