Bluegrass Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Kentucky in the week ending Aug. 5, making up less than 1.3% of total deaths by all causes in Kentucky, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 5, there were 741 deaths in the state. 22.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.6% were from cancer and 1.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.2% 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)	175	23.6
Heart disease	169	22.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	43	5.8
Alzheimer's disease	30	4
Cerebrovascular diseases	27	3.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	21	2.8
Diabetes mellitus	19	2.6
Influenza and pneumonia	12	1.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	12	1.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	83	11.2