Sunflower State News

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Kansas in the week ending July 15, making up less than 2% of total deaths by all causes in Kansas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 15, there were 507 deaths in the state. 19.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 21.7% were from cancer Additionally, 9.7% 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)	110	21.7
Heart disease	100	19.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	27	5.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	18	3.6
Diabetes mellitus	15	3
Alzheimer's disease	12	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	49	9.7