Last Frontier News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Alaska in the week ending Sept. 24, making up less than 37% of total deaths by all causes in Alaska, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Sept. 24, there were 27 deaths in the state. Less than 37% of deaths were caused by heart disease, less than 37% were from cancer and less than 37% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 37
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 37
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 37
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 37
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 37
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 37
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 37
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	< 10	< 37
Heart disease	< 10	< 37
Alzheimer's disease	0	0