Show-Me State Times

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Missouri in the week ending June 24, 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 24, there were 1,204 deaths in the state. 23.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.3% were from cancer and less than 0.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.5% 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	284	23.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	269	22.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	68	5.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	58	4.8
Alzheimer's disease	47	3.9
Diabetes mellitus	35	2.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	34	2.8
Influenza and pneumonia	19	1.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 0.8

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	114	9.5