Palmetto State News

There were 51 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in South Carolina in the week ending May 29, making up 5.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in South Carolina, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, there were 978 deaths in the state. 19.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.8 percent were from cancer and 5.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	194	19.8
Heart disease	187	19.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	51	5.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	46	4.7
Alzheimer's disease	33	3.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	30	3.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	24	2.5
Diabetes mellitus	21	2.1
Influenza and pneumonia	16	1.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	13	1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	78	8