Missouri’s reported COVID-19 deaths increase by 83% in August | News Headlines

ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) — After seeing a decrease in reported COVID-19 deaths in June and July, Missouri saw 304 deaths in August, an increase of 83% from July. 

In total, more than 1,500 people have died in the state since the beginning of the outbreak. The state reported 399 COVID-19-related deaths in May, 173 deaths in all of June and 166 deaths in all of July. 

Case/death rate in Missouri

Deaths went down in June and July as infections rose substantially among younger people. This wasn’t the case at the beginning of the outbreak, when infections swept through long-term care facilities. 

[READ: Reported COVID-19 deaths drop in July for both Missouri and Illinois]

According to Missouri’s health department, no one under the age of 20 died in the state* and a total of seven people in their 20s died from the virus. This is compared to 763 deaths among people aged 80 and older. 

People above 60 account for 90% of total deaths in the state. 

Missouri doesn’t provide specific data on outbreaks at long-term care facilities across the state but there’s outbreaks at nursing homes across 87 counties. The state has a total of 114 counties. 

Officials with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported the most COVID-19 infections ever in August, adding 34,588 cases, an increase of 20% from cases reported in July. It’s an increase of 519% from reported cases in May. 

Missouri’s case/death rate increased to 0.87% in August from July’s 0.57% rate. May’s case/death rate was 7.14%

As of Monday, Missouri has a total of 85,798 cases and 1,544 deaths. 

[RELATED: News 4 is tracking COVID-19 cases on both sides of the river by county]

Case/death rate in Illinois

Unlike Missouri, monthly total deaths continue to drop in Illinois. The state reported 531 deaths in August, a decrease of 7.5% from July’s reported deaths. 

Officials with the Illinois Department of Public Health added 56,195 cases in August, an increase of 57% from reported cases in July. 

Illinois’ case/death rate for August decreased to 0.94% from July’s 1.6% rate. May’s case/death rate was 4.5%.

As of Monday, Illinois has 235,641 cases and 8,032 deaths. 

SARS-CoV-2 caused enough health complications to kill more than 9,500 people in Missouri and Illinois since the beginning of the outbreak.

Case/death rate in local counties

St. Louis and St. Charles counties saw a decrease in reported deaths in August compared to July while St. Louis City, Jefferson, Madison and St. Clair counties saw an increase.

The five counties and the city reported 14,695 cases and 162 deaths in August, an increase of 0.7% from July’s cases and 13.2% from July’s deaths. 

The case/death rate in the six jurisdictions was 10.6% in May and decreased to 1.1% in August. 

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*Missouri reported one death in the 0-19 age group a few months ago but officials with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Secretive later said the death was determined to not be related to COVID-19.