Will CCTV Operators spot Coronavirus?

Now equipped with Realtime Fever Scanning, will CCTV Operators in the UK be able to help contain the Coronavirus?

What does this mean for CCTV Operators? 

The camera will act as a thermal imager and have the ability to sound an alarm when it reads a temperature that is defined as ‘dangerous’ on a subject. 

Additional companies such as Bullitt and Vodafone UK have contributed their developments, producing camera products that are designed to capture the temperature of individuals from a distance. 

Vodafone UK claims that “each camera can check the temperature of 100 people per minute, and, as is the standard for this technology, screens body temperatures accurate to within +/- 0.3 degrees Celsius.”

How reliable is this technology?

It must be taken into account that not everyone will show fever-like symptoms. Because of this, thermal imaging could perhaps fail. 

“Flir President, Frank Pennisi – in line with World Health Organisation – Says that thermal imaging could be helpful for screening, they are not sufficient for an actual diagnosis. For one thing, thermal imaging only measures skin temperature and not internal temperature.”

Another aspect that professionals are concerned with is that the use of ‘fever detecting’ devices could create a false sense of safety, which could lead to individuals returning to ‘normality’ before is deemed appropriate. 

Though there are points that argue both the positives and negatives of thermal imaging, some suggest that at the very least, thermal imaging could help prevent a ‘second wave’ from occurring.

The future

Thermal imaging will soon be widely used to help identify carriers of the Coronavirus. While the data that a Thermal Camera produces can be valuable and relevant, it is vital to remember that not all data will report as accurate, as some Coronavirus victims show no fever at all.

During this time, we must remember to maintain social distancing and use additional safety precautions when necessary, such as wearing a mask and/or gloves.

IFSEC Global for all relative information and factual references; https://www.ifsecglobal.com/global/thermal-imaging-coronavirus-crisis/

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