Mountain State Times

There were 85 deaths from cancer reported in West Virginia in the week ending July 22, making up 19% of total deaths by all causes in West Virginia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 22, there were 448 deaths in the state. 22.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 19% were from cancer Additionally, 10% 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	100	22.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	85	19
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	29	6.5
Diabetes mellitus	15	3.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	15	3.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	11	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 2.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 2.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	45	10