Coronavirus: Thermal screening is being conducted at most airports in India
Amid the novel coronavirus outbreak that has gripped a large number of countries across the world, governments have ramped up safety measures and precautions to contain the deadly disease. The virus, that has claimed over 3,000 lives and affected over 90,000 worldwide, does not have cure or any vaccine as of yet. As medical experts continue trying to help patients recover, countries have started a strict screening method to avoid the further spread of the disease. In India, 28 coronavirus cases have been reported. The coronavirus outbreak originated in China's Wuhan in December and has spread to over 60 countries.
Here is your 5-point cheatsheet guide to the screening process:
Thermal screening is a process of detecting radiation. The amount of radiation emitted by an object increases with temperature; therefore, thermography allows one to see variations in temperature. It someone has a fever, thermal screening will allow to detect them and they can further be tested for coronavirus.
At airports, protective gears like surgical masks and gloves are being provided to crew members and passengers. There are multiple hand sanitising points at terminals. On international flights, boarding of passengers for the next flight should begin only after thermal scanning and immigration clearance is completed of disembarking passengers, aviation body DGCA said. In case any passenger is suspected to be infected, the disinfection process must be carried out on that plane.
All passengers of international flights will have to undergo thermal screening, and not just from the 12 countries listed earlier, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan announced today. Thermal sensors have been installed at 21 airports across the country.
Cities in India that are screening passengers are New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi apart from 14 other airports which were added later.
Over 5,89,000 people have been screened at airports in two months, over 10 lakh screened at borders with Nepal and around 27,000 are currently under community surveillance.
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