Is temperature screening for COVID helpful in detecting coronavirus?

Fever is one of the telltale signs of coronavirus infection. In more than 50 per cent of COVID positive cases, the person develops a fever or chill in the initial phase, which mostly helps to determine the onset of the infectious disease. It is one of the reasons why in commercial places, a temperature check system has been put in place to verify those infected with the virus and restrict them from spreading the virus. But only checking fever can be problematic in numerous cases, particularly in case of asymptomatic patients.

A rise in body temperature is indeed one of the typical symptoms of coronavirus. But it is not the only symptom of COVID-19. Runny nose, headaches, fatigue, sore throat are also early symptoms that can be difficult to detect. Only checking temperature and segregating people based on that could lead to a false sense of security. It is only helpful when the person is showing symptoms. There could be several people who might not have a fever and could be equally contagious.

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Now that we are dealing with a new variant of the coronavirus, it is even more difficult to detect if the person is infected or not. The Omicron variant leads to common cold-like symptoms, which are mild. Besides, fever is not even the initial symptom of omicron. As per a UK based study, runny nose, headache, fatigue and sneezing are some common initial symptoms of mutant variant. Of all, 73 per cent of people infected with the omicron variant had a runny nose. 68 per cent had a headache, 64 per cent experienced fatigue and 60 per cent had sneezing issues. Most importantly, the symptoms were the same for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

Some studies suggest that the accuracy of infrared skin thermometers is equivalent to digital thermometers, but it cannot be denied that there is always a chance of error with it. A Brazil study suggests that instead of infrared thermometer checks, a scratch-and-sniff test that assesses loss of smell is much more helpful in detecting COVID-19 as loss of smell is another typical symptom of this contagious disease. During the study, the researchers found that temperature checks failed to detect COVID-19 infection in many cases.

We are in the middle of a pandemic, and nobody knows how long we will have to deal with it. Checking the temperature is just one way to ensure that the virus does not spread to a larger group of people. It is not 100 per cent accurate, so each individual has to act responsibly and take steps to cut down the risk of infection. If you have come in contact with anyone who is tested positive or you have any symptoms isolate yourself. Apart from that, wash your hands regularly, wear a mask all the time and maintain a 6-feet distance from others to avoid contracting the virus.