Last Frontier News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Alaska in the week ending December 25, making up less than 66.7 percent of total deaths by all causes in Alaska, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending December 25, there were 15 deaths in the state. Less than 66.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, less than 66.7 percent were from cancer and less than 66.7 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
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 66.7
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 66.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 66.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 66.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 66.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 66.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	< 10	< 66.7
Heart disease	< 10	< 66.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
Diabetes mellitus	0	0