Show-Me State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri in the week ending June 17, making up less than 0.8% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 17, there were 1,243 deaths in the state. 21.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.6% were from cancer and 1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.3% 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	270	21.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	269	21.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	77	6.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	74	6
Alzheimer's disease	46	3.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	35	2.8
Diabetes mellitus	31	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	23	1.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	12	1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.8

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	103	8.3