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. 24, making up less than 8.5% of total deaths by all causes in Delaware, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Sept. 24, there were 118 deaths in the state. 13.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 26.3% were from cancer and 10.2% 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)	31	26.3
Heart disease	16	13.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	12	10.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	11	9.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	11	9.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 8.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 8.5
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 8.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 8.5
Diabetes mellitus	0	0