Last Frontier News

There were less than 10 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Alaska in the week ending August 21, making up less than 7.6 percent of total deaths by all causes in Alaska, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 132 deaths in the state. 16.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.7 percent were from cancer and 34.1 percent were from COVID-19.

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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	26	19.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	23	17.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	22	16.7
Heart disease	22	16.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 7.6
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 7.6
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 7.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 7.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 7.6
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0