Peach Tree Times

There were 39 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Georgia in the week ending July 10, making up 2.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 10, there were 1,663 deaths in the state. 23.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.7 percent were from cancer and 4 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.2 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
Heart disease	385	23.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	344	20.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	93	5.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	80	4.8
Alzheimer's disease	71	4.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	44	2.6
Diabetes mellitus	42	2.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	39	2.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	28	1.7
Influenza and pneumonia	23	1.4

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	137	8.2