Show-Me State Times

There were 52 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Missouri during the week ending Oct. 1, 2022, a 18.8% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Oct. 1, 2022, there were 1,272 deaths in the state. 25.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19% were from cancer and 7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.6% 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 Oct. 1, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Sept. 24, 2022
Heart disease	323	290
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	242	253
Cerebrovascular diseases	74	72
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	52	64
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	49	74
Alzheimer's disease	43	49
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	37	46
Diabetes mellitus	31	41
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	29	39
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 1, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Sept. 24, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	97	105