Green Mountain Times

There were 16 deaths from cancer reported in Vermont in the week ending December 25, making up 21.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in Vermont, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending December 25, there were 73 deaths in the state. 23.3 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.9 percent were from cancer and less than 13.7 percent were from COVID-19.

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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	17	23.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	16	21.9
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 13.7
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 13.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 13.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 13.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 13.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 13.7
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0