Peach Tree Times

There were 20 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Georgia during the week ending April 30, 2022, a 23.1% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 30, 2022, there were 999 deaths in the state. 23.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.1% were from cancer and 3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.6% 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	Deaths in Week Ending April 30, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 23, 2022
Heart disease	232	291
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	221	231
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	62	70
Cerebrovascular diseases	56	75
Alzheimer's disease	50	50
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	31	33
Diabetes mellitus	23	34
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	20	26
Influenza and pneumonia	18	16
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	10	15

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending April 30, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 23, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	86	108