Show-Me State Times

There were 51 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Missouri in the week ending May 15, 2021, making up 4.1% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 15, 2021, there were 1,257 deaths in the state. 22.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.3% were from cancer and 7.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.6% 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	280	22.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	268	21.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	65	5.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	51	4.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	50	4
Alzheimer's disease	44	3.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	40	3.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	29	2.3
Diabetes mellitus	28	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	21	1.7

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	95	7.6