Minnesota State Wire

There were 33 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Minnesota in the week ending December 25, making up 4.6 percent of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending December 25, there were 723 deaths in the state. 13.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.1 percent were from cancer and 40.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 14.2 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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	155	21.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	138	19.1
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	131	18.1
Heart disease	99	13.7
Alzheimer's disease	41	5.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	38	5.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	33	4.6
Diabetes mellitus	17	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.4

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	103	14.2