Show-Me State Times

There were 36 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri in the week ending Dec. 24, making up 3.3% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 24, there were 1,095 deaths in the state. 23.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.7% were from cancer and 7.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 14.9% 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	259	23.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	216	19.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	67	6.1
Alzheimer's disease	54	4.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	51	4.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	43	3.9
Diabetes mellitus	36	3.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	36	3.3
Influenza and pneumonia	29	2.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	29	2.6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	163	14.9