Big Sky Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Montana in the week ending Aug. 5, making up less than 5.1% of total deaths by all causes in Montana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 5, there were 195 deaths in the state. 23.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.9% were from cancer and less than 5.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.2% 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	45	23.1
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	35	17.9
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 5.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 5.1
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 5.1
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 5.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 5.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 5.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 5.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 5.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	16	8.2