Cornhusker State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Nebraska in the week ending Sept. 10, making up less than 5.2% of total deaths by all causes in Nebraska, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Sept. 10, there were 194 deaths in the state. 19.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.1% were from cancer and 5.7% 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)	41	21.1
Heart disease	37	19.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	13	6.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	12	6.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	11	5.7
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 5.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 5.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 5.2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 5.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 5.2