Equality State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Wyoming in the week ending May 1, making up less than 11.6 percent of total deaths by all causes in Wyoming, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 1, there were 86 deaths in the state. 18.6 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease and 24.4 percent were from cancer

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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	21	24.4
Heart disease	16	18.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 11.6
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 11.6
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 11.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 11.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 11.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 11.6
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0