Cornhusker State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Nebraska during the week ending July 16, 2022, a decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 16, 2022, there were 273 deaths in the state. 23.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19% were from cancer and less than 3.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12.1% 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	Deaths in Week Ending July 16, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending July 9, 2022
Heart disease	63	67
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	52	78
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	16	16
Alzheimer's disease	14	18
Cerebrovascular diseases	11	13
Diabetes mellitus	10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	11
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	19
Influenza and pneumonia	0	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending July 16, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending July 9, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	33	45