Bluegrass Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Kentucky in the week ending June 24, making up less than 1.1% of total deaths by all causes in Kentucky, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 24, there were 911 deaths in the state. 21.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.8% were from cancer and 1.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.3% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	208	22.8
Heart disease	199	21.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	49	5.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	41	4.5
Alzheimer's disease	31	3.4
Diabetes mellitus	27	3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	23	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	15	1.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	11	1.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	76	8.3