Peach Tree Times

There were 233 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Georgia in the week ending August 7, making up 12.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 7, there were 1,921 deaths in the state. 20.3 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.8 percent were from cancer and 25.1 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	390	20.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	342	17.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	250	13
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	233	12.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	97	5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	83	4.3
Alzheimer's disease	82	4.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	45	2.3
Diabetes mellitus	42	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	30	1.6

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	158	8.2