Show-Me State Times

There were 20 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Missouri during the week ending April 23, 2022, a 5.3% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 23, 2022, there were 803 deaths in the state. 25.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.4% were from cancer and 4.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.1% 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	Deaths in Week Ending April 23, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 16, 2022
Heart disease	208	237
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	172	226
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	57	52
Cerebrovascular diseases	46	48
Alzheimer's disease	36	43
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	21	19
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	20	19
Diabetes mellitus	17	26
Influenza and pneumonia	15	19
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	14	13

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending April 23, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 16, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	81	101