Daily Archives: March 21, 2021

Borracchinis Bakery, which has served up cakes and Italian delicacies for 100 years, is going out of business.

SEATTLE Seattle is losing another institution as Borracchinis Bakery announced Saturday it would remain permanently closed due to financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Months of no gatherings, weddings or parties proved to be too much for the iconic Italian deli, which shut its doors after 100 years in business.

Needless to say, it was devastating to our business, the Borracchini family wrote in a Facebook post.

As COVID-19 restrictions tightened and loosened over the last year, the bakery temporarily closed in March and reopened in summer before closing "until further notice" after new restrictions were put in place in November.

The bakery thanked customers and staff, who the Borracchini family said were like our extended family.

You all have given us a lifetime of memories that will never be forgotten, the Borracchinis wrote. It has been a privilege to be a part of all of your birthdays, anniversaries and important lifetime celebrations.

After the bakery announced the closure on Facebook, within four hours more than 1,000 people commented, sharing memories of weddings, birthdays and important milestones supplied by Borracchini's.

The beloved bakery was featured in the childrens book A Ticket to the Pennant: A Tale of Baseball in Seattle, by Mark Holtzen, which was set in 1955 in Seattle.

The Associated Press contributed.

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Borracchinis Bakery permanently closed after 100 years in Seattle due to COVID-19 - KING5.com

A year after the first coronavirus case was identified in the state, more and more Alaskans have received the COVID-19 vaccine, signaling a hopeful turning point in the pandemic.

By Friday, 206,877 people about 36% of Alaskans eligible for a shot had received at least their first dose, according to the states vaccine monitoring dashboard. At least 144,644 people about 25% of Alaskans 16 and older were considered fully vaccinated.

Now some newly vaccinated Alaskans are wondering: Whats safe and what isnt?

We spoke with some top public health officials in Alaska to see how theyre navigating life after vaccination a situation more residents are experiencing.

Most health officials said they were still cautious and still wearing their masks, and they believed the pandemic wasnt over just yet. They reflected on small moments of joy that they say wouldnt have been possible prior to getting vaccinated. They conveyed a sense of hope and relief that has accompanied their new status.

All had closely followed the new guidance recently issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about what fully vaccinated people can and cant do. The CDC considers individuals to be fully vaccinated once two weeks have passed since they received a second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

People approach their turn to receive a vaccination in their cars at Dempsey Anderson Ice Arena in Anchorage on Friday, March 19, 2021. (Anne Raup / ADN)

Additionally, the CDC says its OK for vaccinated people to visit an unvaccinated household indoors as long as none of the unvaccinated people are at a high risk for severe illness from the virus due to their age or health, since the data on whether the vaccines entirely prevent asymptomatic spread is still incomplete.

But on some issues, the agencys recommendations remain vague or cautious: For example, the CDC continues to recommend against medium or large-sized gatherings, but doesnt define what constitutes a gathering of each size.

The CDC is also still recommending against nonessential travel and encouraging mask-wearing and social distancing when possible, noting that its still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19.

All of the Alaska health officials the Daily News spoke with said they hoped the CDC would clarify and expand some of its recommendations soon.

Last weekend, Dr. Anne Zink went inside a shop to get her bike fixed something that she would have avoided prior to get vaccinated.

So although it was a small thing, it was just great to see everyone again, and to laugh and to hear what their lives have been like and to get that fixed, she said. A little boring errand ended up being a great joy.

Zink, Alaskas top doctor, became a household name this year, known for her role helping lead the states coronavirus response.

She has been fully vaccinated for about two months, and she said it feels a little like rock climbing with a rope to catch her fall.

Pre-vaccination was like solo free climbing, without a safety net, and trying to make your best decisions as you can, she said. And now it feels kind of like youre top-roping. Its not perfect rocks can still fall, things can still happen. But it just feels like theres a really significant added level of protection.

Zink said shes still been cautious even after receiving the vaccine: She still wears her mask when shes in public, avoids large gatherings and hasnt eaten out at a restaurant, yet. Case counts in Anchorage and other parts of the state are still high, she pointed out. But in many small ways, life feels different.

She has also started hugging her fully vaccinated friends, and she said she feels good about getting haircuts and other one-on-one indoor interactions where both people are wearing a mask.

Zinks still having a little trouble adjusting to the possibility of having vaccinated friends come over to her house, even though the CDC says thats allowable. On the other hand, she said shes also struggling with the CDCs recommendation on traveling which is still to postpone nonessential travel, even if youre vaccinated.

I think that post-vaccine, particularly while while wearing good protection while flying, doesnt seem as high risk, she said. She misses her now fully vaccinated parents, who live in Colorado, and hopes to be able to visit them soon.

I have not seen them during this whole pandemic, and theyre getting older, she said. So I am really looking forward to traveling.

Buttons reading, I am vaccinated against COVID-19 , rest in a bag on a table at the Blood Bank of Alaska in Anchorage on March 10, 2021. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Joe McLaughlin, an epidemiologist with the state, has been fully vaccinated for a couple weeks.

Its a real relief, he said. I think weve all been struggling with isolation. And to be able to interact with your family and friends in a way you havent been able to do for the last year, it just feels great.

For McLaughlin, many of the joys of being vaccinated show up in quiet moments. One recent afternoon, he left work midday to go skiing at Arctic Valley Ski Area for the first time this winter.

I was so excited to get to ski and get a ride up the mountain, and to ski down, he said. I would have not done that prior to getting vaccinated, I would have thought that was too high risk.

Hes also been feeling more comfortable getting outside and exercising with a small group of friends, especially the ones who are fully vaccinated, and having a small number of vaccinated friends over for dinner.

There are a few things hed like to do but doesnt feel quite ready for yet. He wants to visit his fully vaccinated parents in Florida but thinks the potential risk of picking up the virus while traveling is too great at this time.

I know these vaccines are incredibly effective, around 95% effective for the two mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, he said. But that still means theres a 5% chance of getting infected, and I wouldnt want to risk that for my parents who are both older and at an elevated risk.

Hes also not comfortable gathering in groups of larger than 10, or eating out at a restaurant.

I dont plan on (eating out) anytime real soon, he said. I know some people may feel comfortable doing that, and I respect that. But I personally feel like I want to wait until our case counts drop more, and we get higher vaccine coverage rates.

A woman waits in the monitoring area at the Blood Bank of Alaska after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in Anchorage on March 10, 2021. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Getting vaccinated was surprisingly emotional, said Dr. Ellen Hodges, chief of staff for the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp., a tribal health organization that serves a primarily roadless region of Southwest Alaska.

The vaccine represents protection against a virus responsible for a massive outbreak in the region, Hodges said. And it means protection for her as well as the people she works with.

One of the things thats hard about having providers that work for you is that youre asking them to expose themselves and take risks, Hodges said. And you didnt have really anything except for a mask to protect them.

The biggest change for Hodges post-vaccination was the ability to get together with small groups of friends or family and not have the gathering be dangerous, Hodges said.

But that doesnt mean it felt normal initially.

After months of masking and social distancing, her first dinner with two others felt weird.

The whole time, it didnt feel quite real almost, Hodges said. They were eating together, unmasked. It was a simple meal, and what she enjoyed most was being able to see other peoples faces.

While Hodges said she isnt comfortable going out to eat just yet, she said shes really looking forward to getting back to restaurants once vaccines become widespread across the state.

She also traveled to Anchorage recently, and said shes looking forward to more travel in the future.

Dr. Bruce Chandler, a medical officer with Anchorage Health Department, said that his work at the health department means hes always aware of which clusters of COVID-19 are going around the city, and that hyperawareness makes him extra cautious even though hes now fully vaccinated.

Weve still got a lot of COVID moving around through the community, he said. But I will say that probably for the last nine months, Ive been primarily living through Walmart and Fred Meyer curbside pickup, and really avoiding anything else. Now Ive got my courage up, and I can go into Costco and buy cat food and kitty litter.

A woman writes the date of a patient's second Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine on a sticker for them as a reminder at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Chandler says hes an introvert, so in some ways, he hasnt missed too much over the last year.

Still: I felt a big sense of relief when I got the first shot, a potentially life-changing event, he said. Its been a very, very stressful year for many, many people. Getting vaccinated takes some of that stress away.

Although Chandler himself hasnt felt the need to dine in at a restaurant, he was asked recently whether a group of younger people who have all been vaccinated can feel good about going out for a pizza.

I think thats a reasonable thing for people to do, given how well the currently available vaccines protect against severe illness, he said.

Chandler said hes still waiting for the CDC to clarify whether their guidance applies to a workplace, or a health care institution, where all employees are fully vaccinated. His overall stance is for Alaskans to err on the careful side for a little while longer until more Alaskans are vaccinated and less virus is circulating.

Even as we return to regular life, its good to still be cautious, he said. Its not over yet, but were looking a lot better than we were in November.

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What can you do after getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Here's how Alaska's top public health experts are adjusting. - Anchorage Daily News

Massachusetts will move into Step 1 of Phase 4 in the COVID-19 reopening plan on Monday, March 22, which allows for a range of previously closed businesses and venues to open under capacity restrictions.

Those restrictions are expected to be adjusted over time if Massachusetts sees favorable trends in coronavirus statistics.

The change comes as Massachusetts health officials labeled 20 cities and towns as at high risk for spreading the virus, an increase from the prior 14 communities listed, but still much lower the past numbers.

Fenway Park and the TD Garden in Boston along with Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and the nearly completed Polar Park in Worcester will be allowed to have fans in the stands under the first step of Phase 4.

Those stadiums along with other large entertainment venues will be allowed to open under a strict 12% capacity limit after submitting a plan to the Department of Public Health.

The newest change by the Baker administration states that on March 22 the gathering limits for public events will increase to 100 people indoors and 150 people outdoors.

Outdoor gatherings at private residents and in private backyards remains at a maximum of 25 people with indoor house gatherings also still remaining at 10 people.

Dance floors will also be permitted at weddings and other events only, and overnight summer camps will be allowed to operate this summer.

The Baker administration is allowing for exhibition and convention halls to open as long as the gathering limits and event protocols are followed.

Several businesses and parks still remain closed under the newest phase. Theme parks, amusement parks and indoor and outdoor water parks are closed still along with bars that are not providing seating for food services.

Ball pits, saunas, hot-tubs and steam rooms still remain closed along with dance clubs and nightclubs. Street festivals, road races and other festivals along with parades remain shut down.

The coronavirus travel restrictions for Massachusetts residents will also be eased on Monday. The travel order will be replaced with a travel advisory.

The travel advisory encourages, but does not require, residents entering or returning to Massachusetts to quarantine for 10 days if they have been out of the state for 24 hours or more.

Travelers who tested negative for COVID-19 up to three days before entering the Bay State and travelers who were fully vaccinated at least two weeks ago, as well as workers who commute into the state or leave the state for work, are exempt.

The advisory does not apply to anyone in the following categories:

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Massachusetts COVID reopening plan enters into Phase 4 Monday; Heres what you need to know - MassLive.com

Small, dark purple spots show inflammatory cells invading the heart of a patient who died of COVID-19.

By Emma YasinskiMar. 17, 2021 , 12:00 AM

Sciences COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Three-quarters of people who died of COVID-19 harbored the SARS-CoV-2 virus in their hearts, according to the most detailed study of cardiac tissue to date. Those people were also more likely than patients without cardiac invasion to experience abnormal heart rhythms before they died. The study offers insight into how the disease may damage the heartand how certain treatments may help.

The finding paints a really nice picture of the connection between the virus and heart problems, says Joseph Maleszewski, a cardiovascular pathologist at the Mayo Clinic who was not involved with the study.

Scientists have ample evidence of heart damage in COVID-19 patients. Some people, for example, show elevated levels of troponins, molecules released in the blood when the heart is injured. Others have experienced inflammation of the sac surrounding the heartand inflammation of the heart itself. But its been unclear whether these problems were caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus attacking the heart directly, or the damage is due to an overactive immune response.

Part of the problem is that previous studies are mixed about whether SARS-CoV-2 can invade heart tissue. Many that havent found the virus use real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), says James Stone, a cardiovascular pathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. RT-PCR works by detecting viral RNA in tissue, then making many DNA copies of it. Once theres enough DNA, a molecule called a fluorescent tag can stick to it and shine to reveal its presence. But Stone says that heart tissue is often processed and preserved using chemicals like paraffin, which can break down the RNA and prevent detection to begin with.

So he and his team used another approach: in situ hybridization and NanoString transcriptomic profiling. Like RT-PCR, these techniques use special molecules to attach to and detect pieces of viral RNA, but they do so without having to make DNA copies first. The approach can identify viral RNA even after its broken into smaller pieces. The scientists also analyzed about 1000 pieces of heart tissuemore than 20 samples from each of the 41 patients they looked at. Thats double the number of samples per patient in most studies, Stone says.

SARS-CoV-2 was present in 30 of the hearts, the team reports today in Modern Pathology. And only those patients experienced new atrial fibrillations, fast and irregular heart rhythms, or early or extra heartbeats, compared with the other patients in the studya correlation Stone calls pretty phenomenal.

Still, its unclear whether the virus attacked the heart directly in these cases. Most of the infected cardiac cells were immune cells, which SARS-CoV-2 could have invaded elsewhere in the body before they traveled to the heart. Its also unclear whether the virusrather than the immune cells themselvesis causing the problems.

Regardless, the study may help explain why the steroid dexamethasone is so helpful to some patients. The drug was one of the first found to prevent deaths from severe COVID-19. It reduces inflammation, so it may have curbed the presence of SARS-CoV-2harboring immune cells in the heart, Stone says. Only 50% of the patients treated with dexamethasone had the virus in their hearts, compared with 90% of patients who were not on the drug.

But compared with large clinical trials, the number of patients in this new study is small, making it impossible to say that one drug protects the heart better than another, says Nicholas Hendren, a cardiology fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Still, Maleszewski says the new findings are a call to action. Scientists need to probe more cardiac tissue, he argues, not just to see how COVID-19 kills patients, but to figure out how it hurts the hearts of those that survive. The disease may, for example, create scar tissue that can cause cardiac problems down the line. Were starting to understand what COVID-19 does to patients when they have it, he says. Whats not clear is what happens later on.

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Many people who die of COVID-19 have the virus in their hearts - Science Magazine

After a months-long investigation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has found that wildlife farms in China are likely the source of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These wildlife farms, many of them in or around the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, were likely supplying animals to vendors at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, where early cases of COVID-19 were discovered last year, Peter Daszak, a disease ecologist on the WHO team that traveled to China, told NPR. Some of these wild animals could have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 from bats in the area.

The WHO is expected to release its findings in a report in the coming weeks.

Related: 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history

In January, a WHO team of experts traveled to China to probe how the deadly pandemic, which has now infected more than 120 million people and killed 2.6 million worldwide, first started, Live Science previously reported. A rash of conspiracy theories have been spread about the origin of the virus, including that the virus escaped from a Wuhan lab. Last month, the WHO investigators dismissed that explanation.

The general consensus among scientists was that the coronavirus was circulating in bats and hopped to humans, likely through an intermediate species. That's exactly what the WHO investigations found: The virus likely passed from bats in southern China to animals in wildlife farms, and then to humans.

The wildlife farms are part of a project that the Chinese government has been promoting for 20 years to lift rural populations out of poverty and close the rural-urban divide, according to Daszak and NPR.

"They take exotic animals, like civets, porcupines, pangolins, raccoon dogs and bamboo rats, and they breed them in captivity," Daszak told NPR.

But in February 2020, China shut down those farms, likely because the Chinese government thought that they were part of the transmission pathway from bats to humans, Daszak said. The government sent out instructions to farmers about how to bury, kill or burn the animals in a way that wouldn't spread disease, Daszak told NPR.

Many of these farms breed animals that can carry coronaviruses, including civets, cats and pangolins. Most are located in or near the Yunnan province in southern China, where scientists previously discovered a bat virus that's 96% similar to SARS-CoV-2, according to NPR. The WHO still doesn't know what animal carried the virus from bats to humans.

"I do think that SARS-CoV-2 first got into people in South China. Its looking that way," Daszak told NPR. The WHO also found evidence that these wildlife farms were supplying vendors at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market.

"China closes that pathway down for a reason," Daszak said. Namely, that they likely thought that this was the most likely path of transmission, which is also what the WHO report will conclude, he added.

You can read the whole story on NPR.

Originally published on Live Science.

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WHO thinks it knows where COVID-19 originated - Livescience.com