Peach Tree Times

There were 41 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Georgia in the week ending July 17, making up 2.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 17, there were 1,619 deaths in the state. 22.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.7 percent were from cancer and 5.6 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.6 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	364	22.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	335	20.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	92	5.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	83	5.1
Alzheimer's disease	77	4.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	50	3.1
Diabetes mellitus	44	2.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	41	2.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	41	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	24	1.5

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	140	8.6