Aloha State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Hawaii in the week ending Dec. 17, making up less than 4.7% of total deaths by all causes in Hawaii, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 17, there were 214 deaths in the state. 20.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22% were from cancer and less than 4.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12.6% 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)	47	22
Heart disease	43	20.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	13	6.1
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.7
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.7
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 4.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 4.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 4.7

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	27	12.6