Bluegrass Times

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Kentucky in the week ending May 14, making up less than 3.5% of total deaths by all causes in Kentucky, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 14, there were 289 deaths in the state. 22.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.1% were from cancer and 4.5% 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	65	22.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	58	20.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	32	11.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	13	4.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	12	4.2
Alzheimer's disease	11	3.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.5
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3.5