Bluegrass Times

There were 214 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Kentucky in the week ending August 21, making up 18.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Kentucky, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 1,157 deaths in the state. 19.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17 percent were from cancer and 35.1 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.3 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	221	19.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	214	18.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	197	17
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	192	16.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	59	5.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	45	3.9
Alzheimer's disease	38	3.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	21	1.8
Diabetes mellitus	21	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	13	1.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	85	7.3