Border Screening for SARS

Abstract

Screening at national borders may not be effective in controlling SARS spread.

Usefulness and applicability of infectious disease control measures in air travel: A review

“…In Canada, 4 million travelers were screened, but none of five infected travelers were detected. Notably, none were symptomatic [20]. In Singapore, no cases were found among the 400,000 travelers that were screened [21].…”

“…Since the case rate was very low and cases were difficult to detect, investing in health facilities' capacities to respond to cases and ensuring they obtain travel histories was considered more effective [20]. A modeling study concluded that entry screening might identify an estimated 9% of SARS cases in England, and would not significantly affect introduction [19].…”

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).…”

The Validity of Mass Body Temperature Screening with Ear Thermometers in a Warm Thermal Environment

“…Fever screening is conducted at public places exposed to the outdoors (Bell and World Health Organization Working Group on International and Community Transmission of SARS 2004;Samaan et al 2004;St John et al 2005). Devices used to measure body temperature such as thermography, infrared skin thermometers, axillary thermometers, oral thermometers, and ear thermometers, may be affected by environmental factors in different ways (McCaffrey et al 1979;Burnham et al 2006).…”