Show-Me State Times

There were 42 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Missouri during the week ending July 2, 2022, a 16.7% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 2, 2022, there were 987 deaths in the state. 24.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.2% were from cancer and 7.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.7% 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 July 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending June 25, 2022
Heart disease	244	306
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	239	257
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	57	59
Alzheimer's disease	46	41
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	42	36
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	40	39
Cerebrovascular diseases	38	64
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	32	29
Diabetes mellitus	25	28
Influenza and pneumonia	13	19

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending July 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending June 25, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	106	105