Hawkeye Reporter

There were 17 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Iowa in the week ending Nov. 12, making up three% of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 12, there were 558 deaths in the state. 26.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.1% were from cancer and 3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.8% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	149	26.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	90	16.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	33	5.9
Alzheimer's disease	30	5.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	28	5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	17	3
Diabetes mellitus	11	2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.8

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	66	11.8