There were 22 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Texas in the week ending July 22, making up 0.5% of total deaths by all causes in Texas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 22, there were 4,171 deaths in the state. 20.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.5% were from cancer and 1.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.9% 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
Heart disease	868	20.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	812	19.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	198	4.7
Alzheimer's disease	186	4.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	177	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	123	2.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	82	2
Influenza and pneumonia	49	1.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	40	1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	22	0.5

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	415	9.9