There were 46 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Texas in the week ending Nov. 5, making up 1.1% of total deaths by all causes in Texas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 5, there were 4,214 deaths in the state. 20.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.3% were from cancer and 2.8% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	857	20.3
Heart disease	857	20.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	240	5.7
Alzheimer's disease	186	4.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	184	4.4
Diabetes mellitus	145	3.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	88	2.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	71	1.7
Influenza and pneumonia	51	1.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	46	1.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	441	10.5