Pelican State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Louisiana in the week ending Dec. 24, making up less than 16.7% of total deaths by all causes in Louisiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 24, there were 60 deaths in the state. 23.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 25% were from cancer and less than 16.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 148.3% 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)	15	25
Heart disease	14	23.3
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 16.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 16.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 16.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 16.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 16.7
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
Diabetes mellitus	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	89	148.3