Assessment of Alternative Body Points for Temperature Screening As Precautionary Screening During the Pandemic Using Infrared Thermometry.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which swept across the globe in a short period, demonstrated that disease transmission management is a critical step in preventing an outbreak, as is good viral infectious disease screening. Infrared thermography (IRT) has long been considered ideal for screening body temperatures during pandemics. METHODS: Single-centre cross-sectional study with 159 participants. Using infrared thermometry, participants were subjected to temperature measurement twice daily on various sites. This was compared to oral temperature. RESULTS: The findings of the study revealed that infrared thermometry could be utilised as a proxy approach for screening by both individuals and medical professionals when employed at the glabella, cubits, or axillae. CONCLUSION:  Temperature screening is implied as a prophylactic method during pandemics. Owing to contact limitations, oral thermometry cannot be used for mass screening during the pandemic. Infrared thermometry is a noncontact method of temperature screening that can readily be applied for mass temperature screening in congested venues such as airports, shopping malls, places of public convenience, and other similar locations.