Constitution State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Connecticut in the week ending July 8, making up less than 1.8% of total deaths by all causes in Connecticut, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 8, there were 571 deaths in the state. 18.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.3% were from cancer and less than 1.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.7% 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)	133	23.3
Heart disease	108	18.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	23	4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	20	3.5
Diabetes mellitus	19	3.3
Alzheimer's disease	17	3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	13	2.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.8

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	61	10.7