Fed up with BC's COVID response, experts launch independent briefings

A group of health professionals, calling themselves Protect Our Province BC (PoP BC), is launching a COVID-19 response campaign — which will include public briefings.

The first briefing was on October 20, in which they highlighted their concerns about the lack of science-based guidance from BC health officials.

The group includes non-partisan health professionals, scientists, policy analysts, and community organizers who are volunteering their time out of growing concern about BC’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

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A primary concern expressed by PoP BC has to do with a lack of precautionary measures.

The first briefing focused on the aerosol transmission of the virus, which PoP BC feels is a risk factor of COVID-19 that the BC government is ignoring.

“We are concerned that the key recommendation of the SARS inquiries has been forgotten: governments must adopt the “precautionary principle” when faced with novel infectious agents,” said a statement from PoP BC.

They also suggest that the BC government is ignoring several critical factors around the spread of COVID-19.

“BC residents are not receiving science-based guidance on many issues like airborne spread, high-quality masks, ventilation, and rapid testing,” said Jennifer Heighton, co-founder and education advocate, in a statement.

We’re excited to be sharing up-to-date science on #COVID19.#PoPBC‘s goal is to make it easier for everyone to stay safe, and keep their families and communities safe.

Join us Wed. Oct 20th at 12pm. Our briefing includes a live Q&A!https://t.co/qfWCM8mlbS https://t.co/T1pXuGrVls

— Protect Our Province BC (@Protect_BC) October 19, 2021

“There is a critical need for an unfiltered, honest assessment of the state of the pandemic in BC,” said Dr. Karina Zeidler, co-founder of PoP BC, in a statement.

“We are now 20 months into the pandemic and our government continues to downplay and ignore important scientific evidence,” she added.

Dr. Amy Tan, who is a family physician, was the primary facilitator of the first briefing.

Other professionals who joined the first PoP BC briefing included Dr. Karina Zeidler, who is also a family physician, Infectious Diseases Physician Dr. Victor Leung, and Professional Safety and Risk Management Engineer Michelle Naef.

Future briefings are to be announced in the near future, and will include analysis of the state of the pandemic in BC, along with expert presentations on a variety of COVID-19 related topics.

A full archive of the first stream can be seen here.