Why temperature scanners won’t help us stop COVID-19
Hand-eye coordination
Given there remains a need for an accurate mass-screening method, and that infrared thermometers are already very popular, what can be done to improve their accuracy?
One waywe have investigatedmay be to stick with the same kit, but change how it’s used a little. We know that the body’s extremities are more reactive to the overall thermal profile of the body – that fingers, for example, increase or decrease their temperature quite a lot as deep body temperature increases and decreases a little. In contrast, the head – in particular the corners of the eyes – are more consistent and reflective of deep body temperature.
Looking at these parts of the body and the difference in temperature between them could provide a more accurate indication of whether deep body temperature is raised due to fever. This would work because, in many scenarios in which deep body temperature increases, the temperature of the extremities also increases – for instance in exercise, when drinking alcohol, getting hot when wearing too many clothes, and so on. As a result, the difference between the temperature of the eye and fingers decreases.
But with fever, deep body temperature increases while thehands get colder, so the difference between the eye and finger temperature increases. Therefore, a more accurate way of using infrared thermometers to screen for COVID-19 might be to measure the temperature of the hand and the corner of the eye and determine the difference.
This wouldn’t be perfect. Other situations can also increase this difference, including some age-related conditions. And, as we’ve noted, not all infected people develop fever symptoms. But it would be a step in the right direction, and so is worthy of further consideration. COVID-19 is unlikely to be the last pandemic, and we owe it to future generations to learn what we can from this one to help prepare for the next.
This article byMike Tipton, Professor of Human and Applied Physiology,University of PortsmouthandIgor Mekjavic, Researcher in Automation, Biocybernetics and Robotics, Jožef Stefan Institute, and Adjunct Professor,Simon Fraser Universityis republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
Story byThe Conversation
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