Granite State Times

There were 11 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in New Hampshire during the week ending May 15, 2021, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 15, 2021, there were 231 deaths in the state. 20.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.9% were from cancer and 9.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 14.3% 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	Deaths in Week Ending May 15, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 8, 2021
Heart disease	48	55
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	46	63
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	11	< 10
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 10
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	10
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	10
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 10
Influenza and pneumonia	0	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 15, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 8, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	33	23