Show-Me State Times

There were 180 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri in the week ending Feb. 5, making up 22.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Feb. 5, there were 808 deaths in the state. 19.9 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.1 percent were from cancer and 47.5 percent were from COVID-19.

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)	204	25.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	180	22.3
Heart disease	161	19.9
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	122	15.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	36	4.5
Alzheimer's disease	33	4.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	25	3.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	21	2.6
Diabetes mellitus	18	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	10	1.2