Bluegrass Times

There were 15 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Kentucky in the week ending June 25, making up 4.8% of total deaths by all causes in Kentucky, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 25, there were 315 deaths in the state. 25.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 27.6% were from cancer and 11.4% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	87	27.6
Heart disease	81	25.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	21	6.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	19	6
Cerebrovascular diseases	19	6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	15	4.8
Alzheimer's disease	10	3.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3.2