Buckeye Reporter

There were 46 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Ohio in the week ending July 31, making up two percent of total deaths by all causes in Ohio, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 31, there were 2,330 deaths in the state. 20.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.3 percent were from cancer and 4.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.6 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	476	20.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	426	18.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	135	5.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	132	5.7
Alzheimer's disease	88	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	78	3.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	58	2.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	46	2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	33	1.4
Influenza and pneumonia	30	1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	177	7.6