Minnesota State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Minnesota in the week ending May 21, making up less than 2.1% of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 21, there were 469 deaths in the state. 16.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 26.2% were from cancer and 6.6% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	123	26.2
Heart disease	79	16.8
Alzheimer's disease	35	7.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	26	5.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	19	4.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	19	4.1
Diabetes mellitus	12	2.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	12	2.6
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.1