Show-Me State Times

There were 49 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri in the week ending Dec. 10, 2022, making up 3.7% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 10, 2022, there were 1,333 deaths in the state. 22.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.8% were from cancer and 8.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.2% 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	301	22.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	250	18.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	104	7.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	71	5.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	61	4.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	49	3.7
Alzheimer's disease	48	3.6
Influenza and pneumonia	41	3.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	2
Diabetes mellitus	27	2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	136	10.2