Keystone Today

There were 15 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Pennsylvania in the week ending December 25, making up 1.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Pennsylvania, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending December 25, there were 1,172 deaths in the state. 17.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 12.1 percent were from cancer and 61.3 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 5.7 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	368	31.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	351	29.9
Heart disease	205	17.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	142	12.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	37	3.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	34	2.9
Diabetes mellitus	21	1.8
Alzheimer's disease	20	1.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	16	1.4
Influenza and pneumonia	15	1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	67	5.7