Equality State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Wyoming in the week ending Dec. 3, making up less than 9.7% of total deaths by all causes in Wyoming, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 3, there were 103 deaths in the state. 13.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.5% were from cancer and less than 9.7% 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)	17	16.5
Heart disease	14	13.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 9.7
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 9.7
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 9.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 9.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 9.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 9.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 9.7
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0