Why not check temperature in schools?

[notevenat20]

Does anyone know why routine temperature checks are not being suggested by schools? It seems a cheap and easy step that could help. I am thinking non-contact infrared thermometers as is common in other countries.

Because lots of people who have the virus and are infectious will be asymptotic so it’s not a reliable way of screening / protecting people hence it’s not being recommended in Government guidance. Plus you’ll always have those parents who will dose their kids up on Calpol and send them in anyway.

If you have ever seen 1000 plus kids going into school you'd probably conclude that it would take too long, costs money to buy the thermometers and as a pp said at least 40% of kids infected would have no symptoms so would not be picked up.

Because it’s pretty useless as a check of whether someone has coronavirus, even more so in a school

It seems it would catch about half of the children who might be contagious. As an extra measure that seems worthwhile doesn’t it?

Why. Literally what would be the point?

Lots of kids throw temperatures for all sorts of trivial reasons. If he had to self isolate every time his temperature went about 37 degrees, my ds would never be in school.

Most of the children with high temperatures wouldn't be going into school and those that are known to be high and sent in would probably have been dosed with capol to lower it anyway.

Ds has been sent home with a high temp before when he hasn't got one so if I am sent to pick him up for that reason I will be going armed with my own thermometer to check his temperature before I take him.

Literally what would be the point?

Reduce infections in school and the chances of school closure.

It seems it would catch about half of the children who might be contagious

It’s also not clear how infectious the other half would be. That is the infectiousness of asymptomatic children may be quite low which would be another advantage.

But Mint if he does have a temperature he DOES have to self isolate and get a test.

I know it's frustrating but that's what has to happen now.

1. They are notoriously unreliable compared to the ones which go in your ear/mouth/other orifice.

1. It would take most of the morning in your average secondary school.

Infra red thermometers aren't reliable.

It seems it would catch about half of the children who might be contagious

The dosing argument is interesting. Thinking about it, why wouldn’t it apply equally in other countries where temperatures are being checked? Any Australians know if this has been common? I guess there could be a post lunch check If needed.

@Mintjulia

Lots of kids throw temperatures for all sorts of trivial reasons. If he had to self isolate every time his temperature went about 37 degrees, my ds would never be in school.

But he does need to be isolated every time he has a temperature

Have you missed all the debate about school reopening, and why it might be problematic this term?

It would take most of the morning in your average secondary school.

Why would it be so much slower in the UK?

There is no way I would be putting ds through 14 days indoors on the basis of what an infra red thermometer says.

There is no way I would be putting ds through 14 days indoors on the basis of what an infra red thermometer says.

I assume there would be a secondary slower test for anyone who fails the infrared one.

@Underhisi

There is no way I would be putting ds through 14 days indoors on the basis of what an infra red thermometer says.

Well I agree with that. But have you not got your own thermometer to use and check him with?

Plus it's not 14 days isolation with a negative test.

They use those temperature scanners at my gym. Takes about 3 seconds per person, so yes completely feasible for a school, administered either by a teacher at the and m school gate (remembering they all have staggered starts now, so shouldn't be big crowds at once) or by each form tutor No child with a temperature should be going to school - they should be staying at home and getting a Covid test. So yes I agree with you. It won't catch every case, but if it caught 30% it would be well worth the 3 seconds a child at the start of the school day.

It seems it would catch about half of the children who might be contagious. As an extra measure that seems worthwhile doesn’t it?

Where is your evidence of this?

In France here and our teens start back today. Have to take temperature before they leave home. 38 or over they automatically stay at home. 2 masks per day and personal hand sanitizers. I don't think there's much social distancing planned as it's full class sizes.

Just do it yourself @notevenat20 if your that concerned

Just do it yourself if your that concerned

I don’t think it would look good if I stood outside the school testing every child who entered :)

I'm not in the UK but they are doing temperature checks on all children here (and every time you go into a shop, restaurant etc...). It really doesn't take long.

Temperature checks will be used at our school - they were during the keyworkers' children coming in with no problems. Now we'll have more children, we'll use an infra red one, anyone throwing up a temperature will be double checked with a more accurate ear thermometer.

A child showing a temperature and/or cough will be collected by parents and asked to test. A negative test and they can come back, a positive one and they isolate, and others in their bubble also get sent home for tests.

That's the system we've been told to follow....

Where is your evidence of this?

You are that no one knows for sure. I started with onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.26326 which says “ The pooled proportion of asymptomatic infection among 1152 COVID‐19 children from 11 studies is 27.7% (95% CI, 16.4%‐42.7%),” and then checked other sources to see if this had been debunked.