Show-Me State Times

There were 12 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Missouri during the week ending June 17, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 17, there were 1,243 deaths in the state. 21.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.6% were from cancer and 1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.3% 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 June 17	Deaths in Week Ending June 10
Heart disease	270	291
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	269	262
Cerebrovascular diseases	77	60
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	74	63
Alzheimer's disease	46	51
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	35	36
Diabetes mellitus	31	34
Influenza and pneumonia	23	21
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	12	< 10
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending June 17	Deaths in Week Ending June 10
Alzheimer disease and dementia	103	106