Minnesota State Wire

There were 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Minnesota in the week ending July 24, making up 1.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 24, there were 821 deaths in the state. 17.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.8 percent were from cancer and 1.2 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.7 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)	179	21.8
Heart disease	141	17.2
Alzheimer's disease	42	5.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	39	4.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	35	4.3
Diabetes mellitus	21	2.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	10	1.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	96	11.7