Volunteer State News

There were 21 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Tennessee in the week ending August 21, making up 1.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Tennessee, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 1,943 deaths in the state. 17.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 14.7 percent were from cancer and 38 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.7 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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	374	19.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	364	18.7
Heart disease	346	17.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	286	14.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	85	4.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	80	4.1
Alzheimer's disease	66	3.4
Diabetes mellitus	56	2.9
Influenza and pneumonia	21	1.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	15	0.8

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	150	7.7