Forcing people to stand in front of a scanner to read their body temperature can produce a large number of false negatives, allowing people with Covid-19 to pass through unrecognized airports and hospitals. .
Leading experts in psychology have suggested instead that a temperature reading of a person’s finger and eye would make a reading much better and more reliable and help those with a fever. The study is published in Experimental epistemology.
Professor Tipton, from the University of Portsmouth, said: “If scanners do not provide a proper reading, there is a risk that we will put people out of places who may want them, or they need to, and we also run the risk of infecting humans with the virus. “to spread their unknown disease.”
The study found four main factors:
- The temperature alone is not a good sign of the disease – not everyone who has the virus has a fever and many develop one after coming into hospital;
- Skin temperature measurements will not accurately estimate deep body temperature (raised in fever). A direct measurement of deep body temperature is impractical;
- High temperature, even one taken from a deep body, does not mean that a person has Covid-19; and
- Taking two temperature measurements, one of the fingers, the other of the eye, appears to be a better and more reliable sign of a feverish rise in deep body temperature.
Dr Tipton said: “Using a surface temperature scanner to detect a single surface temperature, usually the opposite, is an unreliable way to detect the Covid-19-related fever. There are too many factors makes measuring skin temperature a bad place for depth body temperature, skin temperature can change independently of deep body temperature for many reasons, even if such a measure reflecting deep body temperature reliably, other things, such as exercise, can raise deep body temperature.
“The pandemic has had a devastating effect on all aspects of our lives, and unfortunately, it is unlikely to be the last pandemic ahead. It is vital that we develop a measure if a person has a fever that is right and quick. ”
The most common symptom of 55,924 confirmed cases of Covid-19 reported in China up to February 22, 2020 was fever, followed by other symptoms, including dry cough, sputum production, shortness of breath , muscle or joint pain, sore throat, headache. , nausea or vomiting, nasal congestion, and diarrhea.
However, the researchers say that a significant proportion (at least 11%) of those with Covid-19 do not have a fever, and that less than half of those admitted to hospital with a suspected fever had a fever. they had a Covid-19. Although most advanced cases go on to develop a high temperature after admission to the hospital, they were infectious before their temperature rose.
Dr Tipton said: “We think we can identify the presence of fever by using the same kit but looking at the difference between eye and finger temperature – it’s not perfect. , but it could be better and more reliable. “
The same scanners can be easily modified to take both of these measurements.
The new study argues that a temperature reading of a person’s finger and eye would make reading much better and more reliable and help identify those with fever.
A change in body temperature is a crucial factor in experiencing disease with as little as a single-stage increase indicating a potential disease.
The many methods of detecting deep body temperature, widely used in hospitals, are too expensive, aggressive and time consuming for widespread use outside hospitals.
Professor Tipton said: “During SARS epilepsy, in 2003, a rapid and effective cosmetic screening method was required and infrared terminology became a cornerstone measure, despite concerns about the reliable. “
A 2005 study of 1,000 people comparing the initial temperature with three infrared thermometers varied in temperature, from 31 ° C to 35.6 ° C. The infrared thermometer measurements alone varied as high to 2 ° C. In another study, more than 80 percent of the 500 people tested using infrared gave a false negative result.
Such differences in skin temperature may be due to a number of reasons, including whether the person has recently exercised, has a disease, sunburn or alcohol. recently, how close a person is to a scanner, how warm or cool the air is, how. a lot of fat a person has on their body and even their blood pressure.
###
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! they are not responsible for the accuracy of press releases posted to EurekAlert! by sending institutions or for using any information through the EurekAlert system.