Silver State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Nevada in the week ending May 21, making up less than 3.3% of total deaths by all causes in Nevada, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 21, there were 302 deaths in the state. 22.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.9% were from cancer and less than 3.3% 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	67	22.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	51	16.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	23	7.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	18	6
Alzheimer's disease	13	4.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.3
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 3.3