Peach Tree Times

There were 472 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Georgia in the week ending August 14, making up 21.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 14, there were 2,219 deaths in the state. 18.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.4 percent were from cancer and 41.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8 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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	472	21.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	448	20.2
Heart disease	415	18.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	364	16.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	98	4.4
Alzheimer's disease	92	4.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	85	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	57	2.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	44	2
Influenza and pneumonia	22	1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	177	8