In a bid to boost customer confidence, hypermarket outlets have started scanning visitors with forehead thermometers here in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Visitors with body temperature above normal are being politely asked to leave the premises.
“Our corporate office has instructed us to do this to instill confidence among customers so that they can go about their shopping without any fear,” an employee said.
While this practice is far from being a foolproof method to detect persons suffering from COVID-19, business establishments are resorting to it as a last-ditch measure to keep footfalls intact. This may also help those who are unaware that they are running a temperature go to a doctor.
Former superintendent of ESI Hospital and senior general physician T.V. Narayana Rao welcomed the development.
“Forehead thermometers are fast, effective and well-suited for checking the temperature of large groups. These thermometers are also being used extensively in developed countries,” Dr. Narayana Rao said.
Also known as temporal artery thermometers, they use infrared technology to detect the temperature of the temporal artery on the forehead.
Forehead thermometers are being increasingly used at clinics, particularly by paediatricians as it takes only two seconds for the doctor to get a temperature reading, which makes it easier for them to deal with toddlers.
Forehead thermometers cost anywhere between ₹700 and ₹3,000 and are widely available online.
