Green Mountain Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Vermont in the week ending Dec. 17, making up less than 9.7% of total deaths by all causes in Vermont, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 17, there were 103 deaths in the state. 23.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.3% were from cancer and less than 9.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.7% 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	24	23.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	23	22.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 9.7
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 9.7
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 9.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 9.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 9.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 9.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 9.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	12	11.7