Mountain State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in West Virginia in the week ending Aug. 5, making up less than 2.5% of total deaths by all causes in West Virginia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 5, there were 399 deaths in the state. 20.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.8% were from cancer and less than 2.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.8% 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	81	20.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	79	19.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	21	5.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	17	4.3
Diabetes mellitus	14	3.5
Alzheimer's disease	14	3.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 2.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 2.5

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	35	8.8