Aloha State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Hawaii in the week ending July 15, making up less than 4.4% of total deaths by all causes in Hawaii, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 15, there were 228 deaths in the state. 18.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.9% were from cancer and less than 4.4% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.1% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	50	21.9
Heart disease	43	18.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	18	7.9
Alzheimer's disease	12	5.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.4
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 4.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 4.4

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	23	10.1