CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus: thermal cameras give poor picture of health

Technology to detect high temperature is no more than reassurance, a professor says
Technology to detect high temperature is no more than reassurance, a professor says

Thermal-imaging cameras of the kind being installed at businesses, airports and hospitals are an unreliable way of screening and give a false sense of security, researchers have said.

The cameras detect heat radiating from an individual’s skin and are designed to judge quickly whether someone is infectious. However, the results may be too variable to be useful. “They are no more than a visible tool designed to build people’s confidence in public places and airports,” Ashley Woodcock, professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Manchester, said.

Interest in the devices is soaring: Flir, the largest player in the field, recorded camera sales of $100 million in the first quarter of this year, with the devices costing $2,000 to $15,000, or higher.

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