Show-Me State Times

There were 34 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending July 16, 2022, a 36% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 16, 2022, there were 1,130 deaths in the state. 23.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21% were from cancer and 7.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.2% 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	Deaths in Week Ending July 16, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending July 9, 2022
Heart disease	264	247
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	237	240
Cerebrovascular diseases	63	77
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	60	56
Alzheimer's disease	52	51
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	46	36
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	35	29
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	34	25
Diabetes mellitus	27	36
Influenza and pneumonia	15	16

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending July 16, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending July 9, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	104	100