Detect Body Temperature: Screening for Coronavirus

Countries ordered lockdowns, and the way of life was disrupted when the coronavirus emerged. The newly discovered virus came from Wuhan, China, and it is very infectious. Many tourist attractions were closed from the public, and travel was restricted.

For a lot of patients infected, some were not sure how they gotthe virus. Some of the most common symptoms that they have experienced are dry cough, fatigue, and fever. For more severe cases, patients may feel an intense pressure in their chests, difficulty in breathing, and pneumonia.

For people who are elderly and have certain medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases, their symptoms can worsen in days.There’s even the possibility of dying if the immune system’s response goes out of control, andthe virus is able to spread to the lungs and other parts of the body.

A New Way of Life

Even if there’s the danger of contracting COVID-19 outside, life goes on for some people. Some need to provide food for the table by working away from their homes. Others need to go out because of the need for groceries and medicine.

With this said, going outside involves careful measures that should be followed to avoid contracting the virus. There’s the need to wear a mask to protect oneself from droplets coming from coughs or sneezes from other people. Some are careful that they follow the social distancing guidelines of one meter apart or more from other people. Hand washing is still the best defense since the virus can be transmitted from the hands to the eyes if one does not practice good hygiene.

Some establishments such as malls, banks, and offices have disinfectant sprays, washing areas, and social distancing marks all over the place. Many will also check the temperature of customers entering the grocery stores to make sure that they don’t have any fever. In detecting temperature, some companies use sophisticated technology like the one in athena-security.com/coronavirus-detection to ensure that the people entering the area do not have fevers. Others prohibit people under the age of 21 or over the age of 50 from entering the building because they have higher risks of catching the virus.

The Importance of Temperature Checks

Authorities around the world struggle to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. But note that even if you have a fever, this does not automatically mean you have COVID-19. The common cold and flu can cause fevers. On the other hand, since fever is one of the symptoms of COVID-19, it is still important to screen the people that enter the establishment to be on the safe side.

Many are using temperature guns, which are a contactless handheld device to screen people with fevers. In this method, accuracy can be sacrificed. This is because people who are sick may have taken paracetamol to lower down their fevers. On the other hand, those who just went for a jog can show a higher reading than the average threshold. Other factors that can contribute to inaccurate reading are heat loss and sweating.

There are times when people want to use oral thermometers since they can provide more accurate data. However, they are time-consuming and very risky. There’s always the threat of cross-contamination and contact with those who are infected. Another factor that complicates things is that there are asymptomatic carriers of the virus.

Even if the thermometer is not able to determine the people who are carriers, some companies can still mitigate the risks by not allowing entry to those who have higher temperatures. This is better than doing nothing and putting everyone inside the building at risk of contracting this deadly disease.

Other Alternatives

For a more sophisticated system, other companies use a detection tool that provides accurate information. There are existing tools out there that are non-contact, non-invasive, and fast. The device detects the body temperature through the eyes, so people will need to remove their glasses if they are wearing them. For a lot of businesses, these sophisticated systems are their first line of defense against the virus. An elevated core body temperature should still be subjected to testing and medical check-ups for a more accurate diagnosis.

The New Normal

As many businesses slowly reopen, they need to follow specific guidelines that ensure the safety of customers, staff, and everyone else in the facility. You can read OSHA’s article about the guidelines in this link here. There should be health screenings and handwashing stalls everywhere. Tools should be disinfected every minute in barbershops and cafes.Mannequins should be leveraged to emphasize to diners that should be far away from each other.

As with temperature checks, its primary goal is to prevent a person with an active infection from entering a building. It does not necessarily signal that this person is infected with COVID-19 itself. What this means is that even if they are experiencing just a common cold, and they should not spread this specific virus further to others.

For people around the world, temperature checks, masks, and other means to combat the spread of COVID-19 should not give them a false sense of security. It is still best to avoid contact with others, wash hands, and take other safety precautions to prevent getting infected.

Checking the temperature is just one measure out of the several methods used to prevent the coronavirus spread. This means to the public that even if the sophisticated detection tool is not perfect, screening is still an essential component.

Takeaways

When it comes to everyone’s health, safety precautions should be strictly followed. What’s best to do nowadays is to stay at home and avoid going out if the reason is not that important. But if you can’t help but go out, temperature checks are there, and other social distancing measures are implemented to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Only time will tell on what will happen next, but one thing is sure, COVID-19 has disrupted a lot of things and activities around the world. What is important is that you are safe and will live to tell the tale.