Grand Canyon Times

There were 268 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Arizona in the week ending January 1, making up 24 percent of total deaths by all causes in Arizona, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending January 1, there were 1,118 deaths in the state. 16.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 13.1 percent were from cancer and 46.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.3 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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	268	24
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	254	22.7
Heart disease	188	16.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	147	13.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	45	4
Alzheimer's disease	42	3.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	37	3.3
Diabetes mellitus	32	2.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	21	1.9
Influenza and pneumonia	14	1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	70	6.3