Show-Me State Times

There were 11 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri in the week ending May 7, making up 1.4% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 7, there were 767 deaths in the state. 24.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.5% were from cancer and 3.4% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	186	24.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	180	23.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	54	7
Alzheimer's disease	36	4.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	33	4.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	17	2.2
Diabetes mellitus	17	2.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	15	2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	11	1.4