Bluegrass Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Kentucky in the week ending April 30, making up less than 2.5% of total deaths by all causes in Kentucky, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 30, there were 398 deaths in the state. 23.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.4% were from cancer and 3.8% were from COVID-19.

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
Heart disease	93	23.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	89	22.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	33	8.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	24	6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	15	3.8
Alzheimer's disease	14	3.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.5
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 2.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 2.5