Mountain State Times

There were less than 10 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in West Virginia in the week ending August 7, making up less than 34.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in West Virginia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 7, there were 29 deaths in the state. Less than 34.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, less than 34.5 percent were from cancer and 151.7 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	23	79.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	21	72.4
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 34.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 34.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	< 10	< 34.5
Heart disease	< 10	< 34.5
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
Alzheimer's disease	0	0
Cerebrovascular diseases	0	0