Keystone Today

There were 132 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Pennsylvania in the week ending Nov. 12, making up 4.9% of total deaths by all causes in Pennsylvania, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 12, there were 2,709 deaths in the state. 20.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.2% were from cancer and 7.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10% 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
Heart disease	559	20.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	521	19.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	132	4.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	132	4.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	115	4.2
Alzheimer's disease	88	3.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	76	2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	63	2.3
Diabetes mellitus	55	2
Influenza and pneumonia	44	1.6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	271	10