Minnesota State Wire

There were 12 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Minnesota in the week ending January 1, making up 1.6 percent of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending January 1, there were 762 deaths in the state. 19.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.7 percent were from cancer and 39.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.5 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)	159	20.9
Heart disease	148	19.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	142	18.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	135	17.7
Alzheimer's disease	42	5.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	36	4.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	33	4.3
Diabetes mellitus	17	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	12	1.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	80	10.5