Peach Tree Times

There were 73 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Georgia in the week ending May 8, 2021, making up 4.3% of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 8, 2021, there were 1,708 deaths in the state. 20.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.6% were from cancer and 11.3% 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
Heart disease	348	20.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	335	19.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	105	6.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	93	5.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	88	5.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	73	4.3
Alzheimer's disease	69	4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	42	2.5
Diabetes mellitus	42	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	18	1.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	151	8.8