Just how accurate are the handheld temperature scanners?

[Crossy]

Our office have decided to temperature scan everyone entering the building, fair enough, it takes only a second or two. We also have alcohol hand sanitiser scattered throughout the offices.

 

The nice ladies who operate the scanner like to tell me my temperature and this morning it was 32C. At that temp I should be dead or approaching death from hypothermia (in Thailand? Right), it seems they are telling everyone, and everyone reads well low.

 

The units at the local mall read something sensible.

 

The nice ladies have been told to stop anyone who's over 37C but I worry that even someone with a streaming fever is going to read "OK".

 

Two scanners, both agree. I wonder what they are actually measuring, the girls are facing the (Open) doors when they scan, are they just measuring the outside ambient?

 

Thoughts anyone?

[cornishcarlos]

They are calibrated for the Thai strain of Covid-19... That's why there are hardly any cases reported here !!!

[Metropolitian]

They forgot to remove the plastic cover?

 

Those skin temperature scanners do have a marigin of 2 degrees.

 

Rectals and in ear are more accurate.

[Metropolitian]

7 minutes ago, Crossy said:

facing the (Open) doors when they scan, are they just measuring the outside ambient?

A change of room temperature, especially from outside going to a chilled room inside. Body humidity damps making skin temperaturing not accurate.

At the doctor they let you wait first before helping. Like; Reading would be false if you just arrive by foot and immediately do an blood pressure check.

 

Those girls shouldn't stand by the door inside but outside.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Was checked for the first time yesterday at Makro, both the gf and myself measured 34.0c , we had just stepped out of an airconned car.

Wonder what someone arriving on a mc ( helmet or not ) would check at ?

[CharlieH]

Wife and I was refused to enter Makro ! Was told I was 38, told to sit on some seats (with others).10 minutes later told I was ok but didnt tell me the reading ? Just told "ok go".

 

Those scanners range from 199 baht to 4k so anyones guess how good the 199 are ????

Took a look on Lazada and everyone I looked at was "sold out" !

[CGW]

23 minutes ago, Crossy said:

At that temp I should be dead or approaching death from hypothermia

Body temp is ~37°c, internally, not externally! taking external temp is just a rough guide.

 

[Vacuum]

They're as good as the GT200 detectors....

[bbi1]

My thoughts are that you should be staying at home, not going to somewhere full of thousands of people in an office where someone could have Covid19 where it could easily spread it to thousands of people in a building. I'd be staying at home if I were you and not risking it.

[Tayaout]

Like with everything it depends on the quality of the device. Many business will probably buy the cheapest version available. 

[Crossy]

17 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

I'd be staying at home if I were you and not risking it.

 

i would jump at the chance to work from home, but much of my job requires my physical presence on site or in the workshop.

 

My employer, like many others in Asia,  likes to see bums on seats.

[bbi1]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

i would jump at the chance to work from home, but much of my job requires my physical presence on site or in the workshop.

 

My employer, like many others in Asia,  likes to see bums on seats.

request time off or quit the job and stay home. You can't work or earn money if you're dead from Covid19. Short term pain for long term gain.

Edited March 12, 2020 by bbi1

[Don Mega]

Yeah I measured 34 at work this morning (everyone scanned when entering)... Tried to explain that is not possible, Maybe Iam walking dead............... they now call me Khun Zombie.

[Cake Monster]

For sure they are not Calibrated, so therefore cannot possibly be accurate

[Monomial]

The ones at Makro are dead on from my experience. They give the exact same reading as my Omron thermometer at home.  If you are getting readings like 32 or 34 I suggest you didn't spend enough. I have one of those cheap 300 baht LED scanners also that I use for checking the temperature of oil. It reads about 32 on my forehead as well.  If you didn't spend 2000 baht on your scanner, I wouldn't expect it to be very accurate at body heat levels.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Monomial

[tomazbodner]

They are iR cameras which then convert the the "brightness" into temperature reading. There are some that are very accurate, and some that are far less accurate. It also depends on which part of the head they are calibrated for, and deviating from that spot can give dramatically wrong readings. Another thing which could get you 32C is that the person measuring temperature might have moved the thermometer away from your head before reading was complete, pointing at the wall or space behind you.

[FarFlungFalang]

Thailand has it's first reported "cluster".From the Krungthep Post.

[Crossy]

1 hour ago, Metropolitian said:

They forgot to remove the plastic cover?

 

Not such a stupid idea.

 

I've sat in offices (not new builds) which still have the red plastic protective covers on the smoke detectors

 

Yes, I've checked, the covers are off the temp guns.

 

[Thian]

1 hour ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Was checked for the first time yesterday at Makro, both the gf and myself measured 34.0c , we had just stepped out of an airconned car.

Wonder what someone arriving on a mc ( helmet or not ) would check at ?

I did that, drove through 38 celcius 15 minutes with helmet, the guy let me in after measuring...

[NanLaew]

14 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Thailand has it's first reported "cluster".From the Krungthep Post.

But doesn't indicate where that "cluster" is.

[NanLaew]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

 

Not such a stupid idea.

 

I've sat in offices (not new builds) which still have the red plastic protective covers on the smoke detectors

 

Yes, I've checked, the covers are off the temp guns.

 

You are a techie. Why don't you pop down to the see the 'nice ladies' and ask if they have the instruction manual and get it sorted out. Otherwise this thread serves no purpose other than attract those who love to bash.

[NanLaew]

44 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

i would jump at the chance to work from home, but much of my job requires my physical presence on site or in the workshop.

 

My employer, like many others in Asia,  likes to see bums on seats.

You are also probably in the higher-risk age demographic than your boss?

 

Having my odometer just trip 63 last December, I reckon when I stepped off WE008 at 8:20 PM last Friday, that was last I would be seeing of the inside of an airplane for while.

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

You are a techie. Why don't you pop down to the see the 'nice ladies' and ask if they have the instruction manual and get it sorted out. Otherwise this thread serves no purpose other than attract those who love to bash.

 

Done, actually spoke with HR rather than the lovelies, no sign of the manual there. Whether they actually do anything is their problem.

 

[Isaanbiker]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Wife and I was refused to enter Makro ! Was told I was 38, told to sit on some seats (with others).10 minutes later told I was ok but didnt tell me the reading ? Just told "ok go".

 

Those scanners range from 199 baht to 4k so anyones guess how good the 199 are ????

Took a look on Lazada and everyone I looked at was "sold out" !

I'm afraid that it's just the beginning of a nightmare. 

 

  And I hope that I'm wrong. 

[AllThaiedUp]

Sounds like they're about as accurate as CNN in their political reporting....

__________________________

[watthong]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Wife and I was refused to enter Makro ! Was told I was 38, told to sit on some seats (with others).10 minutes later told I was ok but didnt tell me the reading ? Just told "ok go".

Just to prove that Thailand is still Land of Smiles, a peaceful easy solution to every hurdle.

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

i once was stupid enough to invest in a company that manufactured

those scanners. it tried to brand itself as the only accurate company, with 

lisences from different health ministers. 

it went bankrupt after two years.

the founders ran away with most of the money.

so i guess that's how good are those scanners.

[lopburi3]

2 hours ago, CGW said:

Body temp is ~37°c, internally, not externally! taking external temp is just a rough guide.

 

Actually body temp should be a bit below 37 - that was from about 150 years ago and body temps have been going down (as the planet goes up) in my understanding.  I am normally 36.5

[Don Mega]

1 hour ago, Monomial said:

The ones at Makro are dead on from my experience. They give the exact same reading as my Omron thermometer at home.  If you are getting readings like 32 or 34 I suggest you didn't spend enough. I have one of those cheap 300 baht LED scanners also that I use for checking the temperature of oil. It reads about 32 on my forehead as well.  If you didn't spend 2000 baht on your scanner, I wouldn't expect it to be very accurate at body heat levels.

 

 

The ones we have here are Bt11,000 from Misumi.... it says I was 34 (something) this morning when scanned as I entered my workplace.

 

I don't think the cost of the machine has much to do with its accuracy, more likely the monkey that points it at the head.

[Estrada]

3 hours ago, CGW said:

Body temp is ~37°c, internally, not externally! taking external temp is just a rough guide.

 

You should be dead with a temperature of minus 37 Deg C