Palmetto State News

There were 45 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in South Carolina in the week ending June 26, making up 4.4 percent of total deaths by all causes in South Carolina, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 26, there were 1,020 deaths in the state. 18.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19 percent were from cancer and 2.8 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.9 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
Heart disease	188	18.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	55	5.4
Alzheimer's disease	49	4.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	45	4.4
Diabetes mellitus	21	2.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	1.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	16	1.6
Influenza and pneumonia	14	1.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	13	1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	101	9.9