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While BC focuses on even more COVID restrictions, the province's health critic says we've failed to maximize preventative medicine, antibody therapy and rapid testing as ways to curb the virus.
"If we're going to get serious about this we have to look beyond health orders and restrictions," said Renee Merrifield, who is also the Liberal MLA for Kelowna-Mission.
"Preventative measures are huge. I take 5,000 international units a day of vitamin D because there's a direct correlation between it boosting your immune system and fighting off COVID."
Our bodies naturally make vitamin D from sunlight on your skin and we can also get it from fatty fish like tuna and salmon, cheese, egg yolks and fortified orange juice, cereal and soy milk.
But often, those sources usually aren't enough and a vitamin D supplement can come in handy.
Overall, simply being healthy means you have a better immune system and more power to avoid COVID.
That means exercising regularly, eating healthy, not being overweight, getting enough sleep and avoiding stress.
"I've heard (provincial health officer) Dr. Bonnie (Henry) mention a couple of times that vitamin D is good and you should be getting outside and walking," said Merrifield.
"But it certainly hasn't been stressed as an approach to boosting your immune system and potentially avoiding COVID."
Medical doctors have strangely been quiet on the front as well, according to Merrifield.
"Physicians have been reticent to speak up for fear of retribution from co-workers, their employers and their own regulatory colleges," said Merrifield.
"I understand we can't have every medical professional suggesting something different, but doctors should be able to express what works."
But the BC Centre for Disease Control does say, "Vitamin D plays a role in adaptive immunity and cellular differentiation, maturation and proliferation of various immune cells."
Merrifield is also frustrated that rapid testing isn't widespread.
"Canada has 2.7 million rapid test kits sitting in warehouses and only 30,000 have been used. Why is that?" she asked.
"Rapid testing is a quick and easy way to eliminate a lot of transmissions. If you don't feel well, get a rapid test and get the results in 15 minutes rather than waiting 24 to 48 hours. If you test positive you can get the full test and proceed accordingly. But if you test negative you can get on with your life."
Rapid testing would also be a benefit for schools to test every student and catch the cases that are both symptomatic and asymptomatic.
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