Buckeye Reporter

There were 235 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Ohio in the week ending January 1, making up 21.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Ohio, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending January 1, there were 1,111 deaths in the state. 15.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 14.6 percent were from cancer and 44.4 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.2 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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	258	23.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	235	21.2
Heart disease	171	15.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	162	14.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	67	6
Alzheimer's disease	39	3.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	30	2.7
Diabetes mellitus	28	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	19	1.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	13	1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	69	6.2