Magnolia State News

There were 43 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Mississippi in the week ending July 1, making up seven% of total deaths by all causes in Mississippi, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 1, there were 614 deaths in the state. 22.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.7% were from cancer and less than 1.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.5% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	136	22.1
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	115	18.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	43	7
Alzheimer's disease	30	4.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	27	4.4
Diabetes mellitus	20	3.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	52	8.5