Peach Tree Times

There were 246 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Georgia in the week ending Feb. 5, making up 26.7 percent of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Feb. 5, there were 920 deaths in the state. 15.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 12.7 percent were from cancer and 51.7 percent were from COVID-19.

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)	246	26.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	230	25
Heart disease	145	15.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	117	12.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	53	5.8
Alzheimer's disease	45	4.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	43	4.7
Diabetes mellitus	23	2.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	21	2.3
Influenza and pneumonia	18	2