First State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Delaware in the week ending Sept. 17, making up less than 8.2% of total deaths by all causes in Delaware, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Sept. 17, there were 122 deaths in the state. 20.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 30.3% were from cancer and less than 8.2% were from COVID-19.

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	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	37	30.3
Heart disease	25	20.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	10	8.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 8.2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 8.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 8.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 8.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 8.2
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0