Constitution State News

There were 24 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Connecticut during the week ending May 8, 2021, a 27.3% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 8, 2021, there were 450 deaths in the state. 17.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.2% were from cancer and 11.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.3% 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 May 8, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 1, 2021
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	82	119
Heart disease	78	104
Cerebrovascular diseases	27	30
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	26	40
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	24	33
Alzheimer's disease	18	17
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	17	18
Diabetes mellitus	12	14
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	18

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 8, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 1, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	42	49