Show-Me State Times

There were 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri in the week ending May 14, 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 14, there were 710 deaths in the state. 26.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.2% 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	26.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	172	24.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	57	8
Cerebrovascular diseases	39	5.5
Alzheimer's disease	27	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	18	2.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	15	2.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	14	2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	10	1.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.4