Minnesota State Wire

There were 20 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Minnesota in the week ending July 31, making up 2.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 31, there were 889 deaths in the state. 18.6 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.8 percent were from cancer and 4 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.2 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)	185	20.8
Heart disease	165	18.6
Alzheimer's disease	40	4.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	38	4.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	37	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	20	2.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	20	2.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	16	1.8
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	91	10.2