CAN THERMAL CAMERAS HELP SPOT CORONA VIRUS?

CAN THERMAL CAMERAS HELP SPOT CORONA VIRUS?

No, they only measure temperature. A high temperature or fever is just one common symptom of the virus. Others include nausea, headaches, fatigue and loss of taste or smell. But not everyone with the virus gets a high temperature and not everyone with a high temperature is infected with corona virus.

So thermal cameras alone will miss infected people with other symptoms or no symptoms at all – known as false negatives. They will also identify people unwell with a fever for another reason – known as false positives.

Using infrared technology, thermal cameras detect radiating heat from a body – usually from the forehead – and then estimate core body temperature. These cameras are an extremely powerful tool, often deployed by fire fighters to track smouldering embers and police to search for out-of-sight suspects, but they are not designed to be medical devices.

They can give a reasonable measure of skin temperature, to within half a degree – but that’s not the same as body temperature. According to Derek Hill, professor of medical imaging science from University College London, these devices, in general, are less accurate than medical device thermometers like those you stick in the ear.

Taking an accurate reading of core body temperature isn’t easy. Although it can be measured on the forehead, in the mouth, the ear and the armpit, the most accurate way is to take a rectal reading.

According to World Health Organization, temperature screening may not be very effective. Cameras have to be set up correctly and take account of ambient temperature. A risk is that cameras can lull operators into a false sense of security.

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