Hawkeye Reporter

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Iowa in the week ending July 29, making up less than 1.7% of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 29, there were 572 deaths in the state. 21.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.7% were from cancer and less than 1.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.4% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	141	24.7
Heart disease	125	21.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	28	4.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	23	4
Alzheimer's disease	19	3.3
Diabetes mellitus	18	3.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	14	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.7

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	48	8.4