Peace Garden News

There were less than 10 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in North Dakota in the week ending May 14, making up less than 14.7% of total deaths by all causes in North Dakota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 14, there were 68 deaths in the state. 20.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 22.1% were from cancer

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)	15	22.1
Heart disease	14	20.6
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 14.7
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 14.7
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 14.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 14.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 14.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	0	0