Sunflower State News

There were 17 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Kansas in the week ending July 17, making up 3.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Kansas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 17, there were 539 deaths in the state. 21.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18 percent were from cancer and 5.8 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10 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	116	21.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	97	18
Cerebrovascular diseases	24	4.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	22	4.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	17	3.2
Alzheimer's disease	15	2.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	14	2.6
Diabetes mellitus	12	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.9

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	54	10