IR scanners check for signs of flu at Hong Kong airports

As concern mounts over the spread of swine flu, it’s a good time to look at some of the technology Hong Kong installed to deal with the SARS virus a few years ago, and which the country is using now to combat a possible spread of swine flu: IR scanners at points of entry.

For both SARS and swine flu, one of the presenting symptoms is a high fever. During the height of the SARS outbreaks in Hong Kong six years ago the Hong Kong airport and ferry terminals installed IR scanners in addition to having travelers into the country fill out a declaration of health form.

According to this article in the NY Times, the cut-off temperature is 100.4 F.

"Dr. Thomas Tsang, the controller of the Hong Kong government’s Center for Health Protection, said Sunday afternoon at a news conference that any traveler who had passed through a city with laboratory-confirmed cases and who arrived in Hong Kong with a fever and respiratory symptoms would be intercepted by officials and sent to a hospital to await testing.

“Until that test is negative, we won’t allow him out,” he said.

“An aide later said … that it would take two or three days to obtain test results.”

Via Marginal Revolution, (MR) an excellent blog on economics. The MR comments also mention that China, Korea, and Thailand all do some IR screening.

Look for IR scanners to become prevalent in the US as they’re integrated into the standard mix of metal detection and wanding in US airport security.