Pelican State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Louisiana in the week ending Dec. 17, making up less than 3.2% of total deaths by all causes in Louisiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 17, there were 313 deaths in the state. 19.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 28.1% were from cancer and less than 3.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 28.4% 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)	88	28.1
Heart disease	61	19.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	25	8
Cerebrovascular diseases	21	6.7
Alzheimer's disease	18	5.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	10	3.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 3.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	89	28.4