By: Keith Harris
QUESTIONS ABOUT REOPENING ARE IMPORTANT FOR SCHOOLS
We all have questions about COVID-19 best practices when reopening businesses, bringing employees back to the office, and how we can best protect ourselves and those around us. School administrators have an especially tough job navigating the social-distancing culture we are now facing.
The pandemic has been going for several months now and school leaders are already shifting their focus. Administrators are considering how to prepare for reopening school facilities for the Fall. This is no easy job. Consider how a school with hundreds of students in close quarters can continue to operate under a pre-pandemic normal. It’s hard to imagine.
CHILDREN ARE SOCIAL CREATURES
Little kids are notably social. They can’t seem to keep their hands to themselves. When my kids were young, I believed they had extra arms just meant for touching me and everything around them. Curiosity and touching seem to go hand in hand for young children.
The older they get; it doesn’t get much better. Pre-teens and teenagers hate to be told what to do and seem to go out of their way to do the opposite. If Mom says don’t touch, Dad is likely to catch them red-handed. They are the proverbial “rebels without a clue.”
CDC GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS
While school administrators have a lot to consider, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is offering guidance. A simple tool that has been issued by the CDC is a decision tree for K-12 school administrators designed to assist them and provide links to resources as they navigate reopening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The considerations are briefly covered on the CDC’s decision tree. Here are some issues administrators are tackling:
- Widespread COVID-19 testing may become a requirement in schools.
- Quick-read thermometers could become standard in classrooms and hallways.
- Schools may require students and staff temperature checks before they enter the school facility.
- Rigorous cleaning protocols and protective gear will become standard on school campuses.
- Administrators are contemplating procedures for people-tracing among those who test positive for COVID-19.
- Quarantine of infected students will affect parents and school personnel.
- Opening schools too early could expose students if the predicted second wave of disease returns in the Fall.
There are many businesses out there that want to help schools navigate this process. Entrepreneurs are not idle. They are thinking of tools and technology to help schools be successful in reopening. Just as many businesses shifted production to help create face masks, hand sanitizer, and ventilators, some companies are considering tools for helping schools find their next normal.
THERMAL CAMERAS FOR FEVER DETECTION
In the physical security industry, there has been much debate about cameras using sensors to detect people with fever. Many security experts wonder about the accuracy of the devices. Some companies marketing so-called “fever cameras” are being called out for making unproven or false claims.
The Food and Drug Administration regulates the use of telethermographic systems for health applications. This technology is appropriate for triage and converts infrared radiation into a body temperature measurement. The FDA issued guidance on the use of telethermographic systems for locations where thermometers might be in short supply, such as business, airports, schools, and more.
The debate regarding “Fever Cameras” continues around many products that businesses are marketing during the pandemic. School administrators must be cautious about implementing technology that hasn’t been thoroughly tested. Often when schools purchase technology, they must continue to use it for many years before funding for new technology becomes available. Making wise choices despite lack of knowledge is paramount.
Some say devices detecting pre-diagnostic temperatures can be helpful when used appropriately. Early triage of an infected person might prevent a lot of people from being exposed to the coronavirus.
VIDEO ANALYTICS AND WORKFLOWS FOR EARLY NOTIFICATION
When cameras or sensors generate a digital temperature, the information can become a Video Analytic. This is metadata associated with video evidence. The registered temperature can be compared with acceptable ranges and trigger alerts to personnel monitoring for anomalies. An early warning could be crucial in identifying an infected person and those people who might have made contact.
When using video analytics with enterprise-level video management software, advanced capabilities become available. LENSEC has a product that includes automated processes that can improve real-time awareness of behaviors and conditions. Perspective VMS® includes workflows that use “if-this-then-that” logic to generate notifications to personnel when pre-defined conditions occur. These tools may be used to improve early warning of personnel and prevent unwanted conditions.
The “Fever Camera” debate is just one example I’ve seen in my industry. Many other debates are just as relevant and important to consider. School administrators have their work cut out for them heading into summer. They will continue to monitor conditions, adjust, and readjust as the Fall semester arrives. I’m sure the landscape of the next normal will look very different than it does right now.