19 Mar What the FDA’s Recent Crackdown on COVID Scanning Technology Really Means
Every business, state, and local government has reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic in their own way, with their own precautions and guidelines. However, one of the most common safety measures worldwide is screening each person’s temperature before they enter a building or establishment.
That’s a great step in keeping everyone safe, but not all temperature scanners are produced or used in an effective way. In fact, you might have heard of the FDA’s recent crackdown on COVID temperature scanning technology.
This doesn’t mean that high-tech or contact-free scanners are all inaccurate. So what’s the problem and how is the FDA aiming to fix it?
Why the FDA Is Concerned
A popular way to scan for a fever is to use a standalone kiosk that scans each person as they enter your facility. While these are widely accurate, the problem is that some of these manufacturers are claiming that their products have special algorithms that let them scan multiple people at a time.
The reality is that no scanner can accurately read each person’s temperature. In practice, those “algorithms” resulted in many people’s temperatures being off by several degrees. That can make the difference between a safe, healthy temperature and a fever leading to a massive outbreak.
As a result, the FDA has begun sending warning letters to these manufacturers about their inaccurate marketing and instructions.
Should You Be Worried About Your Temperature Screenings?
If you’re a business using a temperature scanner to screen for fevers among your employees and patrons, should you be concerned about getting a letter from the FDA?
The FDA’s jurisdiction focuses more on the way health-related products are manufactured and marketed. For this reason, only the manufacturers of these products appear to be facing repercussions so far.
However, if you’re using a temperature screener to check multiple people at one time, you do have a reason to be concerned. You could be in violation of your state or local government if they have regulations requiring temperature screenings. Even without any regulations, you’re putting your facility at risk for a costly outbreak.
How to Make Sure Your Temperature Screenings are Accurate
As a business that wants to keep everyone safe, what can you do to avoid the problems the FDA has discovered? There are several ways to make sure your temperature screenings are reliable.
Choose Honest, Accurate Screening Technology
Start by using a technology that hasn’t been issued a warning about the current scandal and one that doesn’t claim to be able to screen multiple people at once. No technology can do this accurately, so if a manufacturer is making that claim, it calls their honesty into question.
Instead, opt for a product like the spinTouch RapidScreen that scans people properly, one at a time, and has a track record of reliability.
Scan Each Person Individually
No matter what your scanning technology claims or how much you’d like to speed up the line of people in front of you, always scan each person individually. The risks of allowing someone to potentially spread COVID-19 or other serious illnesses throughout your business are too great to attempt a shortcut.
Choosing spinTouch RapidScreen for Accurate Temperature Readings
Using a temperature scanning kiosk properly is one of the simplest ways to protect your business and your patrols from COVID-19. To learn how we can help, learn more about the reliable spinTouch RapidScreen temperature scanner.
