With the easing of lockdowns in many parts of the world, the use of thermal imaging cameras for public health testing is on the rise.
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Thermal imaging cameras work using infrared technology. This camera can capture body heat. Usually this camera takes temperature from forehead and gives an idea about the overall body temperature from it.
What is the function of thermal imaging camera?
This temperature determining camera is very powerful. These cameras are often used by firefighters to understand where the fire is by measuring the temperature.
Police also use these cameras often, to catch a suspected criminal. When no human is visible, but with human temperature they try to understand whether there are human beings behind the eyes.
But these cameras were not made for use in medical science. So how effective can it be in the current coronavirus epidemic?
Thermal camera can give a fairly reliable reading of body temperature which can be half a degree fluctuating from the actual temperature. But even then, the body temperature that this camera records is not what doctors see as body temperature.
"By Thermal camera body temperature is not measured in the same way that a body thermometer is usually used for treatment," says Professor Derek Hill, an expert at University College London.
What is the normal body temperature?
The normal human body temperature is about 37C (98.6 Fahrenheit). If the body temperature is 38C or higher, it is higher than normal and then fever is considered.
Body temperature
- 37°C (98.6°F) normal body temperature
- 38°C (100.4°F) or above, high temperature/fever Source: NHS
Normal body temperature may vary from person to person and may change at different times of the day. In the case of women's monthly cycle, this temperature can fluctuate during menstruation.
Determining the correct body temperature is not very easy. Temperature is taken from the forehead, inside the mouth or ears or under the armpits. However, according to doctors, the most accurate reading is found by measuring the temperature from the anus. Sounds funny, right?
Can a thermal camera detect coronavirus?
No. The job of a thermal camera is just to measure body temperature.
As we know, coronavirus infection causes high fever. Other symptoms include nausea, headache, fatigue and loss of taste and smell.
But not everyone has the symptoms of fever. Again, a person with a high fever may not have a corona infection.
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As a result, using a thermal camera is not the only way to catch infected people. Because even if there is no fever, someone may have other symptoms or no symptoms at all, but he is carrying the virus.
Or the camera may get a higher body temperature for someone who may have another reason for the temperature rise - meaning it would be misleading to identify him as corona positive.
So what is the usefulness of thermal camera?
Just measuring the temperature may not be an effective way to detect corona, says the World Health Organization. The camera has to be set correctly and we have to keep in mind that the temperature of the surrounding environment is also being recorded.
"There's a lot of equipment for the corona test, it's one of them," says James Ferryman, a professor at the University of Reading in England.
What if I'm wearing a face mask or something to cover my face?
"Wearing a face mask or other masks can increase the temperature," says Professor Ferryman.
That is why the temperature of the forehead is seen because the forehead is not usually covered.
Will exercise increase body temperature?
Not usually. Since there is sweat on the skin during exercise, the skin temperature goes down at this time.
The body can efficiently control the temperature after exercise. So if the body temperature looks very abnormal, it can be wondered whether it has anything to do with exercise.
And how can the temperature be measured?
Using a portable thermometer, where the temperature is taken by targeting the forehead. This thermometer does not touch the skin, but the temperature can be taken from a few centimeters away using it.
Professor Hill says the temperature measured in this hand-held thermometer has been shown to give accurate readings in 90% of cases, compared to anal temperature measurements.
Thermal scanner cameras have been installed at many airports in the world. In some seaports, these thermal cameras are being used before picking up passengers on foreign ships. But passengers are not being informed of the results of this test there.
Handheld laser thermometers are being used in some schools in England, which is now opened after the lockdown. Many workplaces are also considering temperature testing of employees.
However, with the increasing popularity of thermal cameras, experts say that since body temperature is measured at a distance, the results or readings may not always be accurate and it may not be appropriate to rely on this method alone to prevent the spread
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