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 29, making up less than 1.5% of total deaths by all causes in Oklahoma, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 29, there were 674 deaths in the state. 22.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.1% were from cancer and less than 1.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.1% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	156	23.1
Heart disease	154	22.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	45	6.7
Alzheimer's disease	28	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	20	3
Cerebrovascular diseases	17	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	11	1.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.5

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	61	9.1