The Reality of Skin Temperature Screening Expectations
Posted by Mark Espenschied on Mar 18, 2021 in New Products, Technology, Thought Leadership
“What are you talking about?”
 
Like a laser, that statement cuts to the heart of the misunderstanding regarding elevated skin temperature screening — what temperature are we talking about?
 
When you consider an elevated skin temperature camera (system), you are not talking about taking a person’s body temperature. If you want to do that, you do it with a thermometer in the mouth or the rectum.
 
I recently spent three days in the hospital for observation. A nurse took my temperature every four hours – with a thermometer under my tongue. I was not zapped with a blue and white handheld device an inch away from my head. That would be a skin temperature. They wanted my body temperature.
 
When I entered the hospital, I stopped on a dot on the floor and faced an elevated skin temperature camera for a moment before being given the “all clear” to enter.
 
The “all clear” was not based on my body temperature. It was based on my skin temperature falling within an acceptable range. They were hospital people. They understood they were not getting my body temperature.
 
My skin temperature was deemed okay in relation to two things: the camera’s base temperature being constantly calibrated by a device called a “black body” (don’t ask me), and in relation to the skin temperatures of others who had recently gone through the same screening. If my skin temperature had been elevated based on those parameters, then they would have immediately zapped me with a handheld thermometer for instant screening of a body temperature (still not an actual body temperature – but closer). But since I was “okay,” my next stop was admitting, where they sat me down, took my blood pressure and – you guessed it – put a thermometer under my tongue.
 
So, that is what we are talking about – elevated skin temperature, not body temperature. Anyone who tells you that a device 10 feet away is going to give your actual body temperature is, well – it won’t. That’s not what we are talking about.
 
An elevated skin temperature screening system is a convenience. It is a convenience that works well enough when used properly to be used by hospitals all over the world as people walk into their buildings (ONE AT A TIME! Thanks FDA).
 
While we all try to get ahead of this pandemic, if something like this would help your school, office, warehouse – what have you – if this solution will help your organization protect your employees and the people who visit your property, please let us have you talk to a person who knows what he or she is talking about – a knowledgeable DW sales representative.
 
You can learn about the DW EST (Elevated Skin Temperature System) here. You will also find a link to download our eBook.

Let's partner up!

Complete the form below and a DW® representative will be in touch.