Ocean State Today

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Rhode Island in the week ending July 23, making up less than 6.2% of total deaths by all causes in Rhode Island, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 23, there were 162 deaths in the state. 22.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 27.8% were from cancer and less than 6.2% were from COVID-19.

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)	45	27.8
Heart disease	37	22.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	11	6.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 6.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 6.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 6.2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 6.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 6.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 6.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 6.2