Sooner State News

There were less than 10 deaths with influenza and pneumonia listed as the underlying cause reported in Oklahoma during the week ending April 2, 2022, a decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 2, 2022, there were 494 deaths in the state. 25.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.2% were from cancer and 6.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.9% 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	Deaths in Week Ending April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Heart disease	128	161
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	90	113
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	29	48
Cerebrovascular diseases	26	26
Alzheimer's disease	19	21
Diabetes mellitus	18	19
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	17	36
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	14	24
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	44	44