Granite State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in New Hampshire in the week ending Aug. 6, making up less than 5.2% of total deaths by all causes in New Hampshire, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 6, there were 191 deaths in the state. 20.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.3% were from cancer and less than 5.2% were from COVID-19.

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	40	20.9
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	35	18.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	12	6.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 5.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 5.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 5.2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 5.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 5.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 5.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 5.2