Palmetto State News

There were 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in South Carolina in the week ending August 14, making up 0.8 percent of total deaths by all causes in South Carolina, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 14, there were 1,267 deaths in the state. 19 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.3 percent were from cancer and 28.6 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
Heart disease	241	19
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	194	15.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	187	14.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	175	13.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	68	5.4
Alzheimer's disease	49	3.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	34	2.7
Diabetes mellitus	29	2.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	16	1.3
Influenza and pneumonia	10	0.8

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	101	8