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 July 29, making up less than 4% of total deaths by all causes in New Hampshire, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 29, there were 249 deaths in the state. 22.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.9% were from cancer and less than 4% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.4% 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)	57	22.9
Heart disease	56	22.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	12	4.8
Alzheimer's disease	11	4.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	26	10.4