Hawkeye Reporter

There were 14 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Iowa in the week ending May 1, making up 2.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 1, there were 605 deaths in the state. 24.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20 percent were from cancer and 6.1 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.6 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
Heart disease	148	24.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	121	20
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	32	5.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	30	5
Alzheimer's disease	29	4.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	23	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	22	3.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	14	2.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.7

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	52	8.6