Magnolia State News

There were 37 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Mississippi in the week ending January 1, making up eight percent of total deaths by all causes in Mississippi, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending January 1, there were 462 deaths in the state. 23.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.3 percent were from cancer and 18 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.3 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	107	23.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	80	17.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	46	10
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	37	8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	37	8
Cerebrovascular diseases	24	5.2
Alzheimer's disease	15	3.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	11	2.4
Diabetes mellitus	10	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	29	6.3