Maryland State Wire

There were 33 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Maryland in the week ending Aug. 5, making up 3.7% of total deaths by all causes in Maryland, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 5, there were 881 deaths in the state. 19% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 26.1% were from cancer and less than 1.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.6% 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)	230	26.1
Heart disease	167	19
Cerebrovascular diseases	53	6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	33	3.7
Diabetes mellitus	29	3.3
Alzheimer's disease	16	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	67	7.6