Rushmore State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in South Dakota in the week ending Sept. 10, making up less than 12.2% of total deaths by all causes in South Dakota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Sept. 10, there were 82 deaths in the state. 23.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 28% were from cancer and less than 12.2% were from COVID-19.

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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	23	28
Heart disease	19	23.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 12.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 12.2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 12.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 12.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 12.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 12.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 12.2
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0