Sooner State News

There were 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Oklahoma in the week ending July 24, making up 1.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Oklahoma, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 24, there were 815 deaths in the state. 22.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.1 percent were from cancer and 12 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.5 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	185	22.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	156	19.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	54	6.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	50	6.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	48	5.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	44	5.4
Alzheimer's disease	24	2.9
Diabetes mellitus	22	2.7
Influenza and pneumonia	10	1.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	53	6.5