Green Mountain Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Vermont in the week ending May 8, 2021, 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 May 8, 2021, there were 103 deaths in the state. 21.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.4% were from cancer and less than 9.7% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	22	21.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	21	20.4
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