Show-Me State Times

There were 305 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Missouri in the week ending August 21, making up 19.4 percent of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 1,576 deaths in the state. 18.9 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.9 percent were from cancer and 37.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.7 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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	305	19.4
Heart disease	298	18.9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	289	18.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	282	17.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	65	4.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	62	3.9
Alzheimer's disease	48	3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	30	1.9
Diabetes mellitus	25	1.6
Influenza and pneumonia	14	0.9

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	105	6.7