Maryland State Wire

There were 49 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Maryland in the week ending Nov. 12, making up 4.5% of total deaths by all causes in Maryland, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 12, there were 1,092 deaths in the state. 19.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.1% were from cancer and 7.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.4% 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)	209	19.1
Heart disease	209	19.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	71	6.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	49	4.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	43	3.9
Diabetes mellitus	36	3.3
Alzheimer's disease	30	2.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	28	2.6
Influenza and pneumonia	19	1.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	18	1.6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	114	10.4