Mountain State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in West Virginia during the week ending May 22, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 22, there were 26 deaths in the state. 176.9 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	Number of Deaths 2021-05-22	Number of Deaths 2021-05-15
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	25	29
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	21	26
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	0
Influenza and pneumonia	0	< 10
Alzheimer's disease	0	0
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	0	0
Cerebrovascular diseases	0	0
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	0	< 10
Heart disease	0	< 10