First State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Delaware in the week ending Dec. 24, making up less than 5.6% of total deaths by all causes in Delaware, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 24, there were 179 deaths in the state. 17.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.9% were from cancer and less than 5.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12.8% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	32	17.9
Heart disease	31	17.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	15	8.4
Alzheimer's disease	12	6.7
Diabetes mellitus	11	6.1
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 5.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 5.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 5.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 5.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 5.6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	23	12.8