Minnesota State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Minnesota in the week ending July 15, making up less than 1.2% of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 15, there were 841 deaths in the state. 16.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.9% were from cancer and less than 1.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.8% 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)	193	22.9
Heart disease	142	16.9
Alzheimer's disease	49	5.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	42	5
Diabetes mellitus	38	4.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	38	4.5
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	91	10.8