Minnesota State Wire

There were 29 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Minnesota in the week ending Jan. 22, making up four percent of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Jan. 22, there were 719 deaths in the state. 17.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.7 percent were from cancer and 33.8 percent were from COVID-19.

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)	142	19.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	132	18.4
Heart disease	125	17.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	111	15.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	41	5.7
Alzheimer's disease	34	4.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	29	4
Diabetes mellitus	20	2.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.4