Palmetto State News

There were 25 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in South Carolina in the week ending December 25, making up 8.8 percent of total deaths by all causes in South Carolina, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending December 25, there were 283 deaths in the state. 20.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17 percent were from cancer and 18.4 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.5 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	57	20.1
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	48	17
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	27	9.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	25	8.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	17	6
Cerebrovascular diseases	14	4.9
Alzheimer's disease	10	3.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.5
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3.5

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	27	9.5