Magnolia State News

There were 43 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Mississippi in the week ending August 21, making up 4.4 percent of total deaths by all causes in Mississippi, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 967 deaths in the state. 16.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 12.7 percent were from cancer and 63.3 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 5.9 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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	320	33.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	292	30.2
Heart disease	162	16.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	123	12.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	43	4.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	37	3.8
Alzheimer's disease	35	3.6
Diabetes mellitus	33	3.4
Influenza and pneumonia	15	1.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	12	1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	57	5.9