First State Times

There were less than 10 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Delaware in the week ending July 29, making up less than 5.3% of total deaths by all causes in Delaware, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 29, there were 190 deaths in the state. 21.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.9% were from cancer and less than 5.3% 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
Heart disease	41	21.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	36	18.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	21	11.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 5.3
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 5.3
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 5.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 5.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 5.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 5.3
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0