First State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Delaware in the week ending Nov. 5, making up less than 4.8% of total deaths by all causes in Delaware, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 5, there were 208 deaths in the state. 23.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.2% were from cancer and less than 4.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 5.3% 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	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	49	23.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	44	21.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	12	5.8
Diabetes mellitus	10	4.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.8
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 4.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 4.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 4.8

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	11	5.3