Grand Canyon Times

There were 158 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Arizona in the week ending August 14, making up 10.8 percent of total deaths by all causes in Arizona, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 14, there were 1,461 deaths in the state. 16.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.4 percent were from cancer and 20.6 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.6 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	269	18.4
Heart disease	240	16.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	158	10.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	143	9.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	67	4.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	64	4.4
Diabetes mellitus	43	2.9
Alzheimer's disease	39	2.7
Influenza and pneumonia	17	1.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	14	1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	97	6.6