Without the COVID-19 vaccine, companies continue to turn to temperature scans

COVID-19 temperature screening using infrared thermal cameras or scanners is increasingly present in hospitals, airports, and office buildings. The technology is non-contact and typically includes a thermal camera that focuses on the inner eye and takes measurements.

If someone entering the facility has high readings, a visual or audible alarm will usually notify building staff. Frequent follow-up temperature testing can lead to intrusion denial.

This technology is generally believed to be reliable in reading the temperature of busy places efficiently, but it does not diagnose the presence of COVID-19 itself. As a result, some critics worry that they can give the public a false sense of health and safety as they enter the building. For small businesses, this technology can be expensive, starting at $20,000 in some cases.

“The heat detector is just a useful tool,” said Leonard Lee, technology analyst at NextCurve. “We need a much more comprehensive surveillance and containment strategy.”

“My biggest concern is the false sense of security,” Lee added. “It’s a big gap. Some people visiting the venue say, “Screw social distance-these people are using thermal scanners. This venue must be safe.” It’s wrong There is. Large spread events can occur. “

More than 50 companies offer thermal imaging screening, according to one count from segment developer MoviTHERM. “Demand is driven by the desire of any organization to introduce something that makes people feel comfortable when they return to work,” said Markus Tarin, CEO of MoviTHERM in May.

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Memorial Harman Texas Medical Center and UT Health in Houston deployed a thermal camera for rapid temperature screening in May and early August to defend its use in screening thousands of visitors per day. ..

“Temperature and symptom screening, along with federal, state, and local public health and regulatory agencies, are recommended by national and international guidelines in healthcare settings,” said Dr. Luis Ostrsky, an infectious disease expert at the center. Best practice. Fierce electronics.

“It is guaranteed that people with fever will not come in and expose staff or patients, even if the yield of screen positives is relatively low,” he added. “We are a trusted organization and we felt that this high throughput, ubiquitous method was the best solution.”

Ostroski said the hospital would recommend temperature screening techniques selected from Athena Security to managers of other facilities where many people visit every day. “High-throughput temperature screening using this technology is ubiquitous and unobtrusive, so it is the best solution we have tried to comply with this best practice,” he added.

Posted by Athena Online reports Hospital staff discussed the value of this technology. This includes the ability to reduce blockages in the row of people at the entrance, which previously had to be screened one-by-one with a handheld device for temperature and were also in contact.

Athena’s other customer, Propeller Airport, considers temperature scanning as a way to help travelers get back on their flights and be comfortable. “We try to provide our passengers with the safest environment possible,” said CEO Brett Smith in the same video. “I believe one of our lines of defense is to see if people have a body temperature.”

of The US Food and Drug Administration has considered non-contact temperature evaluation devices and noted that “there are many benefits” when used properly.

However FDA warns: “Non-contact temperature assessment devices are not effective when used as the only means of detecting COVID-19 infections.” More importantly for epidemiologists, the FDA also said: And can be infected without other easily detectable symptoms.”

Adults usually have a fever when their body temperature rises to 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C). Athena has set the detection system to an alarm threshold of 99.5 degrees F. A single file line 6 feet apart.

On that websiteObviously, Athena needs to see a high temperature scan with a second thermometer. “Athena is best used as the first of two checkpoint systems, where high temperatures that can cause fever are confirmed by a second FDA-approved thermometer,” the company said. I will.

Athena also added that “elevation of human body temperature is not a marker of viral infection and presents symptoms that may require additional medical advice.” People arriving from the cold outside or who may have been running recently may also register false readings.

“Temperature screening is part of a holistic approach by Athena Security clients, instead of the vaccine being widely deployed,” said Athena CEO Lisafar Zone in an email to Fiase Electronics. “Companies are free to use any and all effective techniques to protect the people entering their buildings.” The Athena system starts at $19,500 and can grow with some options.

Still, concerns remain about the general impression that temperature screening in public places creates. “Temperature screening is not a great tool for establishing control of pandemic spreads,” said analyst Lee. “If so, that would be a public health requirement worldwide.”

“By the time these fever-sensing systems detect potential symptomatic carriers, the virus has probably spread to dozens of people,” Lee added. “These systems can hinder effective workarounds. Most companies don’t have the money to spend on expensive, useless systems.”