temperature checking

[Starsky]

I just purchased an Exergen Temporal Scanner thermometer and it's great. It works by swiping it on your forehead. (Like the ones the nurses use now.) No insertion required. It's a little pricey ($39+ on eBay, act now!), but it's the easiest and fastest thermometer I've ever used and doesn't have as much potential to spread the illness.

I was going to replace the batteries on my two old, dead digital thermometers, but the particular size is unobtainable everywhere I went [unless I buy 20 on Amazon]. The stores were all cleared out of thermometers days ago.

 

[harllee]

I have a couple of thermometers--but I don't understand all this taking of temperatures everyday. Are you doing it because you feel sick? I don't plan to take my temperature unless I feel sick. In my experience my body tells me if I have a fever--if my temperature gets to 100 degrees I feel awful and I know I have a temperature and then I use the thermometer to find out how high it is.

 

[ivinsfan]

We have been taking our temperature twice a day with a Braun Thermoscan ear temperature thermometer and a digital tongue thermometer. Ear temperature is normally 0.5 to 1 degree higher than under the tongue. We are getting readings of 97.3 to 98.5 ear temperature and 96.5 to 97.7 under the tongue. We have acetaminophen ready to control our body temperature should it go above 99.5. My wife is a nurse and she has purchased many items for emergency response such as first aid equipment, saline drips, etc... and we are able communicate with our doctors by phone or Skype. We have no plans to go to a hospital unless it is absolutely necessary.

You do know that fever is your bodies way of killing virus? You are going to panic over less then one degree.? Silly IMO

 

[stepford]

A couple of weeks ago (in my pre-panic acquisition phase) I picked up a couple of boxes of probe covers for our digital thermometers. After a couple of instances of idiotic hypochondria (I have the sniffles, I must be dying!) and finding my temperature completely normal I've resolved to save the rest until DW or I are ACTUALLY showing symptoms.

 

[Nemo2]

I've resolved to save the rest until DW or I are ACTUALLY showing symptoms.

Can a bestowed Honorary Medical Degree be far behind?

 

[sengsational]

It 'knew' before I knew

I have a wearable (Ouraring) that measures my body temperature and every morning gives me my average temperature while sleeping. It compares to my personal long term average, and usually reports +/- 0.1 to 0.3 degrees (that's including nights where I have a beer or 3, and I experience the +0.3F).

What was cool, I thought, was a case last fall...

One morning I got up and it said something like +1.0F. I felt absolutely fine. I thought it was glitch or something, since normally there's very small deviation from my normal. Maybe I slept with my hand in a weird place or something different.

That evening, DW said she was feeling a little achy. No big deal, but went to bed early. I was fine (or I thought I was). The next morning, both of us were obviously sick with something. The ring showed an obvious fever reading (don't recall how big of an increase it was over average, though). Didn't need the ring at that point because I knew I was sick. Maybe a mild case of influenza or something (aches). Neither one of us did anything that day, just had no energy and sat around all day. Luckily it was short lived, and the next day, back on our feet.

Anyway, I though it was cool that the wearable was able to know that I was sick before I did! I wonder how many more cases of Covid-19 would be caught earlier (earlier isolation) with automated, low friction monitoring like this.

 

[MRG]

I have an ancient mercury one but not feeling feverish so not using it.

Is there any other kind?

 

[COcheesehead]

I watched a video last night about a couple who was quarantined on a cruise ship. They ended up getting the virus, but the funny part was the cruise line gave them thermometers to take the temperature. The instructions were in Japanese. People were using them to test under the tongue when they were actually calibrated to test under your arm.

 

[JoeWras]

Yes, I am checking. I replaced my battery when Wuhan blew up.

My normal is 97.3 to 98.0. I get nervous over 98.5.

When I got the H1N1 flu, it shot to 103.0, so I know it works just fine.

 

[Freedom56]

You do know that fever is your bodies way of killing virus? You are going to panic over less then one degree.? Silly IMO

Sorry it was worded badly. The resting and monitoring start above 99.5 and below 101.5. Above 101.5 we start with a dose of 500mg twice a day until the fever subsides. Neither of us has ever had (that we know of) fevers over 102 but we would likely increase the dosage to 1000 mg twice a day. If the temperature continues to rise we would call our doctors as it's probably a viral or bacterial infection.

 

[Walt34]

The only one we have is an older classic Thermapen I use for grilling. I guess we could use that, but have to watch out for the pointy end if used in the classic manner....

 

[Janet H]

I discovered I have a real glass (with mercury) thermometer. Do you think it's still accurate?

On a side note - my kid works in Taiwan. He's been messaging me regularly about his experience. They have daily fever checks at the front door to the building, mandatory tracking of close contacts (daily) and his work place gets fully cleaned every night.

When they first started checking temps (portal monitor), his coffee cup set off the alarms. Now he covers it with a coat as he enters.

Every worker (office/tech company) is given a mask upon entry and must first use hand cleaner and then mask up.

Half the workers at his office have been sent home to work to increase distancing. Kids are still going to school but wear masks. They also have cardboard sneeze guards around their desks.

Interestingly folks who are supposed to be self quarantining when infection is suspected are occasionally breaking quarantine. The Govt is fining then and publishing their identities. Public shaming seems more effective than fines.

 

[Koolau]

Still have Hg thermometers. They will work and be accurate until broken.

I run 98.6 most of the time. I can tell when I'm at 99.0 or higher just by how I feel. DW and I have been fighting mild cold symptoms since our 2nd shingles shot 3 weeks or so ago. Probably not related, but not used to a cold hanging on this long. Very low grade fever (99) every other night. Staying inside for the most part, but venturing out for groceries. YMMV

 

[JoeWras]

I wish I still had a mercury thermometer. Somehow I'd always manage to break them though. Don't tell anyone. Last time I mentioned this, a co-w*rker said I had a toxic waste problem in my house and asked me what I did about it*. Sheesh.

* - Answer: scooped up the mercury and glass and threw it in the trash. I'll probably go to hell.

 

[ckelly78z]

It has been recommended that every employee have their temperature checked every day before they enter the building. I'm not sure if a station will be set up at the end of the parking lot, or how they will attempt to accomplish this.

In a related note, Honda, GM, Ford, and Chrysler/Fiat all are suspending all production at their North American plants....here we go !

 

[Walt34]

II'll probably go to hell.

See you there, I've done the same thing.

 

[Ronstar]

I have bad memories of oral thermometers. Several years ago, I fell through the ice while skating. I was able to break the ice, get to shore and walk home. I was frozen. DW brought me to the hospital where they promptly tried to put a mercury thermometer in my mouth. My teeth were chattering so bad that I almost broke it in my mouth.

Anyway, I hope I don’t have flashbacks when my oral thermometer arrives in a couple of days.

 

[whatnot]

We have not had a thermometer for probably 20 + years.
I will ordered one on Amazon on Mar 13th. It should arrive on Mar 22.
It is now out of stock on Amazon website.

 

[doneat54]

I have a non contact IR thermometer that I bought for automotive/shop use (monitoring heat riser temps on an intake manifold that I restore... was concerned about reaching the temp limit of an epoxy that I use). I have been fooling around with it with myself and DW, taking temp at our temples. Always between 91-93 degrees. I'd think that if we did spike a fever, it would show.

Was going to order a forehead thermometer on Amazon a while back, but anything good was pretty spendy...