NOTE: For the most up to date information on the Coronavirus (Covid-19) please refer to the CDC's website. Thermal cameras cannot guarantee an accurate diagnosis and the below are not recommended as an alternative to social distancing or intended to treat Coronavirus. If you are experiencing symptoms consult your medical professional immediately.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic the entire world has been affected by it in some way. Not only has the COVID-19 virus taken many lives but it's also had a detrimental affect on the economy and the availability of products and services.
There have been over 104 million cases and 2.27 million deaths worldwide since the start of the pandemic. The symptoms of the virus can lie dormant in the human body between two to 14 days. Since the virus poses a major threat to citizens, people are lining up to get tested.
Due to the overwhelming volumes inside hospitals, doctors and other health care professionals are struggling to keep up with testing demands. Is there a way to solve the problem? There are thermal body scanners but can they identify whether someone is infected? Find out more in today's article.
Can a Thermal Camera Identify the Infected?
It should be noted that thermal cameras can't identify or detect whether someone has the Covid 19 virus. But thermal imaging cameras can detect high body temperatures which is one of the symptoms of the virus.
There are some drawbacks to using thermal cameras to scan body temperatures. A thermal camera isn't ideal for scanning large groups of people. The device can only do a temperature screening for one person at a time.
If a person has a high body temperature identified by a thermal camera, a second test needs to be done using a non-contact infrared thermometer. You can also use a touchless screening device for a second test to verify if the person is infected by the Covid 19 virus.
Both thermal imaging cameras and a non-contact infrared thermometers or NCIT can measure skin temperature without making contact with the body. But the difference is that infrared thermometers measure temperatures in a single location. Thermal cameras can measure temperatures in different locations of the human body.
As a result, thermal imaging cameras can create a temperature map of the human body so you can see which parts have elevated temperatures. So if you want to have accurate results for body temperatures consider using a thermal imaging camera.