Pine State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Maine in the week ending June 24, making up less than 3.2% of total deaths by all causes in Maine, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 24, there were 313 deaths in the state. 19.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.9% were from cancer and less than 3.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.8% 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)	78	24.9
Heart disease	61	19.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	13	4.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	12	3.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3.2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 3.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 3.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	37	11.8