In the town of Connecticut, test the “pandemic drone” to discover the heat. Experts ask if it works.

Connecticut police said they plan to begin testing a “pandemic drone,” which can detect if a person 190 feet away has a fever or a cough.

But virus experts and privacy advocates question whether such technology works, and if so, whether it helps control the spread of the virus. Coronavirus.

Westport Police and Town Election Prime Minister, First Select Man Jim Maape, aims to use this technology as part of a pandemic “flatten the curve” pilot program. .

“We know that social distances work to flatten the curve and ultimately save lives,” Murp said in a statement. “As part of our efforts to continue to protect the citizens of Westport during the outbreak of COVID-19, and when we position ourselves to gradually return to our routines, how to prevent the possibility of a recurrent virus? Should be searched. “

He praised the police station for a “smart solution” that could keep the population safe.

Northwest of Manhattan, Westport, a wealthy community of about 29,000 people an hour, has 198 cases of coronavirus and five dead.

Connecticut has more than 20,300 confirmed cases, More than 1,400 dead.

With police released by the town, the drone could help “provide better health surveillance support for potentially at-risk groups” and is not used to monitor people in private yards, He said he would not use recognition technology.

Police chief Foti Koskinas said that one of the biggest obstacles to fighting the virus is determining how the virus spreads within the community, which drones could help solve. I said.

“The use of drones continues to be the go-to technique for reaching remote areas with little human effort,” the police chief said in a statement. “This technology gives our personnel the information and quality data they need to make optimal decisions in any situation.”

A police spokesman said no action could be taken if the drone indicated that a person was feverish or coughing during the testing phase of the program. Lieutenant Anthony Prezioso said the focus is on assessing information from the drone at the moment.

“If it finds it useful, in the future, a team of policy experts will be formed to initiate a draft policy and protocol on how, who, and when to use the technology.” He said.

Dr. Pregioso said the drone does not capture or store personal information.

NBC News contacted Draganfly, the company that developed Marp and drones, on Wednesday, but no immediate reply.

The company said in a statement that the technology can detect fever, cough, sneeze, heart rate and breathing rate, which Westport Police uses to protect people at high risk, such as the elderly, He said he plans to monitor people gathering in the crowd. Includes checking if they maintain a social distance.

However, David McGuire, executive director of ACLU in Connecticut, warned against using the technology as a way to stop the spread of coronaviruses, as well as more about what data drones collect and whether they store or sell it. Information is needed.

“The COVID-19 virus is a significant public health risk, so we shouldn’t write down any tools that could help mitigate the problem,” he said. statement. “But we must also recognize that technology is not a magic drug to stop a pandemic. Towns and states use COVID-19 as an opportunity to market their products and create future business opportunities. , We need to be alert to interested privacy-invading companies. “

McGuire also questioned whether drone technology could accurately detect whether a person’s condition was associated with a virus. He said that some people with the virus may be asymptomatic and those with a fever or cough may not be infected.

“The accuracy of this drone-based remote system detection technology may not help stop the epidemic of COVID-19,” he said.

Virologist and epidemiologist Dr. Joseph Faire shared a similar view to NBC News in March:Temperature check They are mainly visual measures that make you feel good, although they are mostly done with great care. “

“I feel like I’m undergoing some sort of screening, but the effects are very limited,” he said.

Westport Police launched a submarine program in 2016 to help submersion teams find submerged objects and victims. It later expanded the program to aid in accident investigations, scene documentation and search and rescue.