Times are Changing

Who could have guessed that the year 2020 would have unfolded the way it has? For the past few months every conversation, article, post, and platform has been “keeping up with COVID-19.” From working remotely to homeschooling, how to stay sane in your house to, most importantly, safety. Our world has had to pull a complete 360 and shift gears, in every way imaginable, to combat the Coronavirus that has led us to a world-wide state of pandemonium.

Individuals and businesses, in a variety of fields, are directing all of their energy and means to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

In the world of security and tech, businesses are trying their hand at implementing thermal surveillance cameras as a tool that could be used to identify potential corona side effects, i.e. fevers. At times it can be hard to wrap our heads around all the advancements and adaptations that have been made during this pandemic. So let’s start from square one: what actually is a corona?

In the Beginning

If we head back to the Mid 16th century we will learn that the term corona is derived from the Latin origin corona (spelled the same) which means “wreath, crown.” In the world of anatomy, it is defined as: “a part of the body resembling or likened to a crown.” And for COVID-19, the corona viron, when under electron microscopic examination, appears to be surrounded by a halo. However, I think we can all agree that this virus is no angel.

Because of the aggressive speed at which this virus is spreading, thermal surveillance cameras are showing up, front and center (in some cases literally), as a way to scan individuals’ body temperatures for one of the main indicators of infection- a fever. As security experts, scDataCom hopes to shine a light on the matter in order to inform you of the ways thermal surveillance cameras are being used as a tool during COVID-19.

Too Hot to Handle

Due to recent circumstances, the market for thermal surveillance cameras, also known as “corona cameras” or “fever detectors,” now has the potential to become a billion-dollar industry this year. These technology tools have spiked in demand and are appealing to a wide range of buyers who are eager to get back to business and ready to resume a normal way of life.

To become successful in this endeavor, businesses are willing to go to great lengths to help their customers and employees feel confident and comfortable about returning to their facilities.

In the beginning, the use of these mechanisms as a telethermographic system (thermal scanners), meant going against FDA regulations. While there are a number of variables surrounding thermal surveillance cameras, the FDA declared on April 16, 2020, that, through the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, it “does not plan to object” to the use of unapproved telethermographic system, whereas before the devices were recommended to be used as a secondary screening mechanism alongside an FDA approved thermometer.

How Does it Work?

Thermal surveillance cameras “see” by gathering heat, not light. For the purpose of fever detection, these cameras work best when individuals are facing them head on at a distance of 1-2 meters. This posture is necessary for cameras to acquire their most accurate temperature reading.

They do so by scanning the center of the individual's forehead, roughly between the eyebrows. To aid accurate scans, people are being asked to remove their glasses or any other item that may interfere with the scanning process.

City Farmers Market, a grocery chain in Atlanta, Georgia has installed thermal cameras at the entrance of their stores for temperature readings. If the customers have a temperature reading of 100.4 degrees or higher they are approached by an employee, discreetly notified of the circumstances and asked to leave the store. It is during this interaction that the employee will offer an alternative way to complete their shopping for them.

Small businesses, like these grocery stores, are just one link in an ever expanding chain of large corporations, such as Amazon and Tyson Foods, who are instituting thermal surveillance cameras to monitor the health and wellness of their employees and customers.

What About Us?

Though we have not yet seen thermal surveillance cameras make their debut in Savannah as “corona cameras” for fever detection, we have seen many of the city's large employers, such as Gulfstream and Memorial Health, take the screening process seriously - especially when an employee’s Coronavirus test comes back positive.

As our state’s “shelter in place” guidelines begin to change, it is likely that Savannah could be seeing more technology tools appear in the future, like thermal cameras, to aid our city’s smooth transition back to “reality.” Thermal cameras are effective security tools for a variety of local industries and in a plethora of scenarios. Meanwhile, in the case of thermal surveillance cameras being used to combat the spread of Coronavirus, there are still many questions and variables about the accuracy of the tech, the science behind the spread, and the role these technology tools could play in the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

It is necessary we iterate that thermal cameras are not new to the market, but this particular application can be a tricky one. Under specific, optimized, conditions, some thermal surveillance cameras are indeed capable of precise temperature measurements, but they were not originally designed for the specific application of human fever detection. This technology could, in theory, be an excellent public safety tool in the efforts to detect and (potentially) reduce or prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, at scDataCom it is important to us to not only inform our community but, in doing so, be as transparent as possible - we want to be a trusted resource and a partner to our customers.

We are here for you and in it for the long haul.

While we definitely support all efforts to utilize technology tools to advance public safety, we are still validating the accuracy of the available tech’s claims. It is an exciting idea and one that we are following closely. We will work to effectively share all industry updates with our Savannah community and invite you to #jointheconversation.

It's Getting Hot in Here