Beehive State News

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Utah in the week ending August 21, making up less than 2.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Utah, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 460 deaths in the state. 15.9 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.2 percent were from cancer and 26.3 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.5 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	73	15.9
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	70	15.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	63	13.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	58	12.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	23	5
Diabetes mellitus	15	3.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	15	3.3
Alzheimer's disease	14	3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	39	8.5