Old Dominion News

There were 67 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Virginia in the week ending July 31, making up 4.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Virginia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 31, there were 1,478 deaths in the state. 19.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.2 percent were from cancer and 5.1 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.4 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	328	22.2
Heart disease	292	19.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	76	5.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	67	4.5
Alzheimer's disease	52	3.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	42	2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	35	2.4
Diabetes mellitus	35	2.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	33	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	13	0.9

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	154	10.4