Peach Tree Times

There were 21 deaths with influenza and pneumonia listed as the underlying cause reported in Georgia during the week ending September 25, a 27.6 percent decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending September 25, there were 2,482 deaths in the state. 16.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 12.9 percent were from cancer and 58.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.3 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	Number of Deaths 2021-09-25	Number of Deaths 2021-09-18
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	749	888
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	707	849
Heart disease	399	425
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	320	306
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	105	92
Cerebrovascular diseases	104	104
Alzheimer's disease	75	74
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	53	53
Diabetes mellitus	51	69
Influenza and pneumonia	21	29

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths 2021-09-25	Number of Deaths 2021-09-18
Alzheimer disease and dementia	157	165