Peach Tree Times

There were 13 deaths with influenza and pneumonia listed as the underlying cause reported in Georgia during the week ending Feb. 12, a 55.2 percent decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Feb. 12, there were 1,371 deaths in the state. 21.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.2 percent were from cancer and 45.4 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.7 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 2022-02-12	Number of Deaths 2022-02-05
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	327	412
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	295	372
Heart disease	293	301
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	208	228
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	75	84
Cerebrovascular diseases	60	75
Alzheimer's disease	50	86
Diabetes mellitus	24	45
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	20	42
Influenza and pneumonia	13	29

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths 2022-02-12	Number of Deaths 2022-02-05
Alzheimer disease and dementia	105	168