Minnesota State Wire

There were 40 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Minnesota in the week ending July 8, making up 4.9% of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 8, there were 819 deaths in the state. 19% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.8% were from cancer and less than 1.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12.2% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	203	24.8
Heart disease	156	19
Alzheimer's disease	47	5.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	41	5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	40	4.9
Diabetes mellitus	19	2.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	100	12.2