Show-Me State Times

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Missouri in the week ending Aug. 20, making up less than 1.2% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 20, there were 832 deaths in the state. 20.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 25.5% were from cancer and 10.2% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	212	25.5
Heart disease	173	20.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	48	5.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	48	5.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	44	5.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	37	4.4
Alzheimer's disease	32	3.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	3.2
Diabetes mellitus	23	2.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2