Peach Tree Times

There were 30 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Georgia in the week ending Nov. 12, making up 1.7% of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 12, there were 1,768 deaths in the state. 20.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.8% were from cancer and 2.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.8% 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	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	385	21.8
Heart disease	368	20.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	96	5.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	89	5
Alzheimer's disease	71	4
Diabetes mellitus	51	2.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	42	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	30	1.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	28	1.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	16	0.9

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	155	8.8