Equality State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Wyoming in the week ending July 15, 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 July 15, there were 103 deaths in the state. 17.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.3% were from cancer and less than 9.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12.6% 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)	24	23.3
Heart disease	18	17.5
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
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	13	12.6