Great Lakes Wire

There were 382 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Michigan in the week ending May 1, making up 16.8 percent of total deaths by all causes in Michigan, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 1, there were 2,271 deaths in the state. 19.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.5 percent were from cancer and 35.4 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.5 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	434	19.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	423	18.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	382	16.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	375	16.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	108	4.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	84	3.7
Alzheimer's disease	72	3.2
Diabetes mellitus	68	3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	33	1.5
Influenza and pneumonia	19	0.8

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	148	6.5