Mountain State Times

There were 31 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in West Virginia in the week ending July 1, making up 7.2% of total deaths by all causes in West Virginia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 1, there were 433 deaths in the state. 22.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 18% were from cancer Additionally, 7.6% 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
Heart disease	96	22.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	78	18
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	31	7.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	15	3.5
Diabetes mellitus	14	3.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	11	2.5
Alzheimer's disease	10	2.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 2.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	33	7.6