Ocean State Today

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Rhode Island in the week ending December 25, making up less than 1000 percent of total deaths by all causes in Rhode Island, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending December 25, there were less than 10 deaths in the state.

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
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1000
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 1000
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1000
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1000
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	< 10	< 1000
Heart disease	< 10	< 1000
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
Diabetes mellitus	0	0
Alzheimer's disease	0	0
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	0	0