Peach Tree Times

There were 13 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Georgia in the week ending June 17, making up 0.8% of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 17, there were 1,621 deaths in the state. 21.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22% were from cancer and 0.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10% 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)	356	22
Heart disease	347	21.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	88	5.4
Alzheimer's disease	70	4.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	68	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	39	2.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	37	2.3
Influenza and pneumonia	20	1.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	13	0.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	162	10