Rushmore State News

There were less than 10 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in South Dakota in the week ending Jan. 8, making up less than 1000 percent of total deaths by all causes in South Dakota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Jan. 8, there were less than 10 deaths in the state.

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
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 1000
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 1000
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	< 10	< 1000
Heart disease	< 10	< 1000
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
Diabetes mellitus	0	0
Cerebrovascular diseases	0	0
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	0	0