First State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with chronic lower respiratory disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Delaware during the week ending Aug. 27, 2022, a decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 27, 2022, there were 177 deaths in the state. 20.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 14.7% were from cancer and 7.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.9% 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	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 27, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 20, 2022
Heart disease	36	30
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	26	43
Cerebrovascular diseases	22	12
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	13	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 10
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 10
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	12
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 10
Influenza and pneumonia	0	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 27, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 20, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	14	14