Show-Me State Times

There were 39 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri in the week ending May 22, 2021, 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 May 22, 2021, there were 1,187 deaths in the state. 24.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.8% were from cancer and 7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.2% 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	288	24.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	235	19.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	68	5.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	54	4.5
Alzheimer's disease	47	4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	44	3.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	39	3.3
Diabetes mellitus	23	1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	20	1.7
Influenza and pneumonia	12	1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	86	7.2