Last Frontier News

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Alaska in the week ending Sept. 17, making up less than 27% of total deaths by all causes in Alaska, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Sept. 17, there were 37 deaths in the state. Less than 27% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 35.1% were from cancer

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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	13	35.1
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 27
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 27
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 27
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 27
Heart disease	< 10	< 27
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	0	0
Cerebrovascular diseases	0	0
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	0	0