Buckeye Reporter

There were 102 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Ohio in the week ending May 22, making up 4.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Ohio, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 22, there were 2,508 deaths in the state. 21.3 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.5 percent were from cancer and 8.8 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.9 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	533	21.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	490	19.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	126	5
Cerebrovascular diseases	123	4.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	118	4.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	102	4.1
Alzheimer's disease	87	3.5
Diabetes mellitus	80	3.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	40	1.6
Influenza and pneumonia	22	0.9

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	197	7.9