Worksite Temperature Screening for COVID-19

Link to article at PubMed

J Occup Environ Med. 2021 Apr 28. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002245. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether temperature screening is useful in detecting and reducing workplace transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

METHODS: A survey was conducted to determine whether temperature screening successfully identified workers with COVID-19 among a convenience sample of medical directors of multinational corporations in a wide range of industries.

RESULTS: More than 15 million screenings were performed by 14 companies. Fewer than 700 episodes of fever were identified. Of these, only about 53 cases of COVID-19 were detected. By contrast about 2000 workers with diagnosed COVID-19 were in the workplace and not detected by screening.

CONCLUSIONS: One case of COVID-19 was identified by screening for approximately every 40 cases that were missed. Worksite temperature screening was ineffective for detecting workers with COVID-19 and is not recommended.

PMID:33908386 | DOI:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002245

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