Show-Me State Times

There were 157 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri in the week ending July 17, making up 11.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 17, there were 1,410 deaths in the state. 18.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.9 percent were from cancer and 22.8 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.7 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	266	18.9
Heart disease	261	18.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	165	11.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	157	11.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	75	5.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	63	4.5
Alzheimer's disease	52	3.7
Diabetes mellitus	33	2.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	24	1.7
Influenza and pneumonia	16	1.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	109	7.7