Alaska report provides details on COVID-19-related deaths

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Many of the people whose deaths were caused by or associated with COVID-19 in Alaska between January 2020 through September 2021 had at least one underlying medical condition, the state health department reported Wednesday.

The department, in an epidemiology bulletin, said shows 658 deaths between Jan. 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2021 were determined to be caused by or associated with COVID-19.

Of the 551 individuals for which past medical history was known, 529 “had at least one underlying medical condition associated with increased risk for severe COVID-19,” the report states. Most of those — 417 — had one to three medical conditions. Cardiovascular diseases were the most common underlying condition, according to the report.

The report says the data is preliminary.

To date, since March 2020, about 145,900 resident cases of COVID-19 and about 850 resident deaths have been reported, according to the department.