Big Sky Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Montana in the week ending Dec. 17, making up less than 6% of total deaths by all causes in Montana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 17, there were 166 deaths in the state. 28.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 27.1% were from cancer and less than 6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12% 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
Heart disease	47	28.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	45	27.1
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 6
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 6
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 6
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	20	12