Minnesota State Wire

There were 65 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Minnesota in the week ending May 1, making up 7.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 1, there were 910 deaths in the state. 16.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.3 percent were from cancer and 15.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12 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)	194	21.3
Heart disease	152	16.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	78	8.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	65	7.1
Alzheimer's disease	47	5.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	44	4.8
Diabetes mellitus	36	4
Cerebrovascular diseases	36	4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	109	12