Bluegrass Times

There were 42 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Kentucky in the week ending May 22, making up 4.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Kentucky, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 22, there were 991 deaths in the state. 20.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.9 percent were from cancer and 7.4 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.8 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	199	20.1
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	187	18.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	67	6.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	45	4.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	42	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	31	3.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	31	3.1
Alzheimer's disease	30	3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	2.7
Influenza and pneumonia	13	1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	97	9.8