Green Mountain Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Vermont in the week ending July 22, making up less than 8% of total deaths by all causes in Vermont, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 22, there were 125 deaths in the state. 16.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 29.6% were from cancer and less than 8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.6% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	37	29.6
Heart disease	21	16.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	13	10.4
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 8
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 8
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 8
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	12	9.6