Peach Tree Times

There were 20 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Georgia in the week ending June 19, 2021, making up 1.3% of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 19, 2021, there were 1,597 deaths in the state. 20% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20% were from cancer and 4.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.1% 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)	320	20
Heart disease	319	20
Cerebrovascular diseases	98	6.1
Alzheimer's disease	88	5.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	75	4.7
Diabetes mellitus	44	2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	42	2.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	42	2.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	37	2.3
Influenza and pneumonia	20	1.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	161	10.1