Show-Me State Times

There were 70 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Missouri in the week ending Dec. 17, making up 5.8% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 17, there were 1,206 deaths in the state. 23.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.3% were from cancer and 10.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.2% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	283	23.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	233	19.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	96	8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	70	5.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	65	5.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	60	5
Influenza and pneumonia	50	4.1
Alzheimer's disease	50	4.1
Diabetes mellitus	36	3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	2.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	135	11.2