
Pandemic screening using infrared thermography
In light of the recent events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic interest in the use of infrared thermal imaging for fever screening has been implemented. One of the main symptoms of the COVID-19 is fever (83% to 98% of patients) (del Rio C, JAMA, February 28, 2020).
Maintaining fever screening may reduce spread statistics by up to 50% (Mercer J, Ring EFJ, 2009).
One of the methods for screening for fever is infrared thermography by measuring the maximum temperatures from the inner canthus region of the eye (Pascoe D, et al. 2010).
Therefore, It is necessary to comply the standards that assure reliable, consistent, and comparable data (International Standard IEC 80601-2-59, 2008).
- del Rio C, Malani PN. COVID-19—New Insights on a Rapidly Changing Epidemic. JAMA. Published online February 28, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.3072
- Mercer, J., & Ring, E. F. J. (2009). Fever screening and infrared thermal imaging: Concerns and guidelines. Thermology International, 19(3), 67-69.
- Pascoe, D., Ring, E., Mercer, J., Snell, J., Osborn, D., & Hedley-Whyte, J. (2010). International standards for pandemic screening using infrared thermography (Vol. 7626): SPIE.
- IEC 80601-2-59:2017 Medical electrical equipment — Part 2-59: Particular requirements for the basic safety and essential performance of screening thermographs for human febrile temperature screening



