Garden State Times

There were 15 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in New Jersey in the week ending July 1, making up 1.1% of total deaths by all causes in New Jersey, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 1, there were 1,340 deaths in the state. 22.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.5% were from cancer and 2.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7% 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)	315	23.5
Heart disease	305	22.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	66	4.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	43	3.2
Alzheimer's disease	34	2.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	29	2.2
Diabetes mellitus	21	1.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	21	1.6
Influenza and pneumonia	15	1.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	15	1.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	94	7