Show-Me State Times

There were 47 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending Aug. 20, 2022, a 2.2% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 20, 2022, there were 1,089 deaths in the state. 22.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.2% were from cancer and 10% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.8% 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 Aug. 20, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 13, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	264	235
Heart disease	244	254
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	62	60
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	60	59
Cerebrovascular diseases	57	59
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	47	46
Alzheimer's disease	39	39
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	33	21
Diabetes mellitus	28	37
Influenza and pneumonia	10	16

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 20, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 13, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	85	109