Mandatory temperature monitoring in schools during SARS

Abstract

During the SARS outbreak, temperature monitoring was mandatory for all Singapore schoolchildren. None of the Singapore children with SARS were detected through school temperature screening. However, temperature monitoring procedures have a powerful psychological effect of reassuring parents and the public that schools are safe during a SARS outbreak.

Non-contact infrared thermometry temperature measurement for screening fever in children

“…32 Another mandatory temperature monitoring of 499,778 Singaporean schoolchildren during a SARS epidemic found only 67 (0.013%) to be febrile. 33 During outbreaks of SARS or similar communicable diseases, the main requirement of a fever-screening programme is a very low false-negative rate. NIFT for screening for fever is acceptable as the false-negative rate using this method was low, i.e.…”

School closure and management practices during coronavirus outbreaks including COVID-19: a rapid systematic review

“…Six papers described or evaluated school actions as part of control measures undertaken in response to the SARS outbreak in Taiwan, 24 Singapore, [33][34][35] and Beijing, China. 36,37 Two papers were modelling studies that estimated SARS transmission in schools 38 or the effect of school closure 39 on transmission in SARS outbreaks.…”

“…Although there were school children diagnosed with SARS in Singapore, none of them were identified through temperature screening. 35 All educational facilities in Singapore were closed for 3 weeks from March 27, 2003 (the SARS outbreak ran from late February to May 2003), together with suspension of other activities to prevent the congregation of large groups of children. 34 A review 24 of responses in Taiwan to the SARS outbreak and 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic noted that schools were designated as alternative health-care sites in case the health system was overwhelmed during the SARS outbreak, but that there were no school social distancing measures (including closures) introduced during the SARS outbreak.…”

Cutaneous Infrared Thermometry for Detecting Febrile Patients

“…Such screening may take place at hospital entry, mainly in the emergency department, or at airports to detect travelers with increased body temperatures (1)(2)(3). Infrared thermal imaging devices have been proposed as a noncontact and noninvasive method for detecting fever (4)(5)(6).…”