Pelican State News

There were 11 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Louisiana in the week ending July 24, making up 1.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Louisiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 24, there were 997 deaths in the state. 22.9 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.9 percent were from cancer and 17.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.9 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
Heart disease	228	22.9
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	168	16.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	92	9.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	84	8.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	68	6.8
Alzheimer's disease	42	4.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	37	3.7
Diabetes mellitus	36	3.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	15	1.5
Influenza and pneumonia	11	1.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	79	7.9