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Temperature screening not a reliable way to detect COVID-19, warns MHRA

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has warned that thermal cameras and other 'temperature screening' products are not reliable tools to determine whether an individual is infected with COVID-19.

MHRA has instructed manufacturers and suppliers of such devices not to make claims that directly relate to diagnosis of COVID-19. Those failing to comply will have to face formal enforcement action. All businesses are urged to follow government advice on safe working during COVID-19 and not rely on temperature screening, which could put people’s health at risk.

There is limited evidence to support temperature screening as a reliable way of detecting COVID-19 or other febrile illnesses, particularly if used as the primary testing method. Temperature screening systems are designed to measure the skin temperature rather than core body temperature. Furthermore, natural fluctuations in temperature are likely to occur among healthy people, thereby making temperature readings an unreliable indicator of COVID-19 or other febrile illnesses. Additionally, infected individuals who do not develop fever or remain asymptomatic would not be detected by temperature screening and may unintentionally act as spreaders.

Graeme Tunbridge, MHRA Director of Devices, said: "These products should only be used in line with the manufacturer’s original intended use, and not to screen people for COVID-19 symptoms. They do not perform to the level required to accurately support a medical diagnosis."


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