Magnolia State News

There were 39 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Mississippi in the week ending December 25, making up 9.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Mississippi, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending December 25, there were 428 deaths in the state. 25.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15 percent were from cancer and 14.3 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	108	25.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	64	15
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	39	9.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	33	7.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	30	7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	28	6.5
Alzheimer's disease	19	4.4
Diabetes mellitus	15	3.5
Influenza and pneumonia	10	2.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	34	7.9