First State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Delaware in the week ending June 17, 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 June 17, there were 180 deaths in the state. 20% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 18.9% were from cancer Additionally, 9.4% 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	36	20
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	34	18.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	23	12.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	13	7.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 5.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 5.6
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 5.6
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 5.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 5.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	17	9.4