Hawkeye Reporter

There were 13 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Iowa in the week ending May 22, 2021, making up 2.5% of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 22, 2021, there were 518 deaths in the state. 20.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.3% were from cancer and 6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.4% 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
Heart disease	108	20.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	105	20.3
Alzheimer's disease	28	5.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	26	5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	22	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	21	4.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	18	3.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	13	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.9

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	54	10.4