There were 14 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Texas in the week ending July 15, making up 0.3% of total deaths by all causes in Texas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 15, there were 4,172 deaths in the state. 19.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.7% were from cancer and 0.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.7% 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)	820	19.7
Heart disease	797	19.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	188	4.5
Alzheimer's disease	181	4.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	163	3.9
Diabetes mellitus	154	3.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	66	1.6
Influenza and pneumonia	43	1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	25	0.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	14	0.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	447	10.7