Silver State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Nevada in the week ending Oct. 15, making up less than 2.8% of total deaths by all causes in Nevada, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Oct. 15, there were 355 deaths in the state. 20.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22% were from cancer and less than 2.8% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	78	22
Heart disease	73	20.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	22	6.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	17	4.8
Alzheimer's disease	16	4.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.8
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 2.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 2.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 2.8