Magnolia State News

There were 34 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Mississippi in the week ending May 29, making up five percent of total deaths by all causes in Mississippi, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, there were 678 deaths in the state. 22.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.3 percent were from cancer and 11.1 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.2 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
Heart disease	154	22.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	124	18.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	46	6.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	35	5.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	34	5
Alzheimer's disease	29	4.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	29	4.3
Diabetes mellitus	22	3.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	16	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	14	2.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	49	7.2