Mountain State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in West Virginia in the week ending July 29, 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 July 29, there were 398 deaths in the state. 21.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.6% were from cancer and less than 2.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 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	87	21.9
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	78	19.6
Diabetes mellitus	19	4.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	15	3.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	13	3.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	12	3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.5
Alzheimer's disease	< 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	32	8