Aloha State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Hawaii in the week ending Nov. 12, making up less than 4% of total deaths by all causes in Hawaii, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 12, there were 248 deaths in the state. 19% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.4% were from cancer and less than 4% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.9% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	48	19.4
Heart disease	47	19
Cerebrovascular diseases	23	9.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	10	4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 4

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	22	8.9