Aloha State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Hawaii in the week ending June 24, making up less than 4.3% of total deaths by all causes in Hawaii, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 24, there were 231 deaths in the state. 18.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.5% were from cancer and less than 4.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 13% 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)	45	19.5
Heart disease	42	18.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	19	8.2
Alzheimer's disease	10	4.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.3
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 4.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 4.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	30	13