Enchantment State News

There were 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in New Mexico during the week ending June 4, 2022, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 4, 2022, there were 237 deaths in the state. 19.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.9% were from cancer and 4.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.5% 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	Deaths in Week Ending June 4, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending May 28, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	52	71
Heart disease	47	69
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	14	16
Diabetes mellitus	12	< 10
Cerebrovascular diseases	11	16
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	10	< 10
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	14
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending June 4, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending May 28, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	25	27