Sooner State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Oklahoma in the week ending July 22, making up less than 1.3% of total deaths by all causes in Oklahoma, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 22, there were 754 deaths in the state. 26.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 19.5% were from cancer 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	198	26.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	147	19.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	47	6.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	32	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	23	3.1
Alzheimer's disease	15	2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	60	8