VANCOUVER -- As B.C.'s COVID-19 case numbers have slowly crept up in recent days, some health officials are reminding residents that occasional case surges of the virus will be possible for the foreseeable future.

One Vancouver health professional, Dr. Rhonda Low, says it's important for people to start seeing COVID-19 as a long-term reality, rather than something temporary that will be over soon. 

"If you start thinking temporary, it can be pretty stressful waiting for temporary to end when there's no end in sight," Low told CTV Morning Live Monday.

Low said she's seen a mix of mental health impacts related to COVID-19. For some people, the pandemic has allowed them to slow down and prioritize. But for others, the pandemic has brought significant stress related to health, finance and isolation. 

"Some of my patients are much happier during COVID times because it's allowed them to get off the hamster wheel. It's given them permission not to have to perform at 200 per cent like they were before," she said. 

"But in other cases I do recognize this is very stressful on mental health."

And because COVID-19 is here to stay for now, Low said it's also important for people to understand cases of the virus are likely to ebb and flow, meaning it's important to take care of some things while B.C.'s numbers stay relatively limited. 

"We've got to take advantage of the time we have right now while it's low in our community," she said. "This is the time you want to go in and do your regular preventative health checks."

Low said it's a good idea to go in for routine dental checkups, mammograms, blood pressure checks, Pap smears and vaccines now.

And, in the coming months, Low recommends getting the flu shot.

"Initially COVID can present like the flu so if you had your flu shot, we can kind of decrease the chance of that being considered why you're sick," she explained, adding that it will help expedite testing for COVID-19, which will help to "prevent spread in our community."

Dr. Rhonda Low's comments are part of a four-minute interview during which she also discussed antibody testing and border closures. To listen to the full interview, click the video above.