We have had a good conversations regarding the efficacy of temperature screening in the STEAMwhiz lab with parents. We take the science of the pandemic serious and are implementing best practices to keep the lab safe. This includes temperature screenings amongst other things like 3D printed masks that offer N95 protection, HVAC filtration, UV-C light decontamination, learning PODS, and social distancing. Here is some useful information regarding temperature screening that is worth sharing!
Are temperature screening useful?
YES! A fever is a clear indication that you are not well 🤒 While a fever does not mean you have COVID-19, it does mean you should isolate yourself during the pandemic. You can then take the next steps to determine if you just have a common cold, the flu, or COVID-19.
What about asymptomatic transmission?
It is clear that COVID-19 can be spread by individuals that don’t show symptoms like a fever. CDC’s current best estimation puts asymptomatic virus transmission around 40%. So that means transmission could be reduce by 60% by just checking if we are not feeling well…like a basic temperature check!
What temperature would be considered a fever?
Depends on how you take the temperature. As you can probably imagine, the body measures different temperatures in different areas. The typical 100.4° F threshold recommended by the CDC is an ORAL temperature. For a non-contact infrared FOREHEAD measurement you should subtract 0.5° F from the recommendation which is 99.9° F.
What about countries that have COVID-19 under control?
It’s worth mentioning that other countries that do have COVID-19 under control (South Korea, Taiwan, etc.) have adhered to preventative measures which includes temperature screenings and stemming micro-outbreaks. Importantly, this does not include a vaccine and yet their cases are much lower and economies are returning to normal. While temperature screenings are not a magic bullet, it is one arrow in the quiver that will be needed to combat COVID-19.
More Reading
- Mott Children Hospital
- CDC COVID-19 in children and teens
- CDC Pandemic Planning Scenarios
- WHO COVID-19 Dashboard
If you have any questions drop us a line on messenger fb.com/STEAMwhizNY