Ocean State Today

There were 11 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Rhode Island in the week ending Nov. 12, making up 5.3% of total deaths by all causes in Rhode Island, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 12, there were 208 deaths in the state. 19.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.6% were from cancer and 5.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.1% 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)	47	22.6
Heart disease	40	19.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	11	5.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	10	4.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.8
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.8
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 4.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 4.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	19	9.1