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 July 15, making up less than 0.9% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 15, there were 1,114 deaths in the state. 24.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.7% were from cancer and less than 0.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.8% 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	24.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	231	20.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	70	6.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	56	5
Alzheimer's disease	49	4.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	29	2.6
Diabetes mellitus	25	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	13	1.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 0.9

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	109	9.8