First State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with chronic lower respiratory disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Delaware during the week ending March 12, a decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending March 12, there were 152 deaths in the state. 17.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.4% were from cancer and 6.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 17.1% 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 12	Deaths in Week Ending March 5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	28	25
Heart disease	27	25
Cerebrovascular diseases	15	14
Alzheimer's disease	12	< 10
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	10	13
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	11
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	11
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending March 12	Deaths in Week Ending March 5
Alzheimer disease and dementia	26	12