First State Times

There were 34 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Delaware during the week ending Jan. 1, a 54.5 percent increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Jan. 1, there were 175 deaths in the state. 14.3 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.4 percent were from cancer and 41.1 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12 percent 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 2022-01-01	Number of Deaths 2021-12-25
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	38	28
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	34	22
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	34	40
Heart disease	25	41
Cerebrovascular diseases	14	13
Alzheimer's disease	10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 10
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	10
Influenza and pneumonia	0	< 10

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths 2022-01-01	Number of Deaths 2021-12-25
Alzheimer disease and dementia	21	17