Big Sky Times

There were 23 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Montana in the week ending Feb. 5, making up 17.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Montana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Feb. 5, there were 134 deaths in the state. 18.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 13.4 percent were from cancer and 36.6 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	26	19.4
Heart disease	25	18.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	23	17.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	18	13.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	10	7.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 7.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 7.5
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 7.5
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 7.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 7.5