An Omicron Holiday Guide: 10 Places to Avoid and Why this Thermal Camera is a Lifesaver

An Omicron Holiday Guide: 10 Places to Avoid and Why this Thermal Camera is a Lifesaver

Never underestimate a thermal camera’s ability to protect you this season. For starters, the electronic device can help you see in total darkness. In any language, that’s revealing. But here’s more: A portable infrared technology in your hand may well be your lifesaver at a time when Omicron is knocking on America’s doors — flexing its muscles like a hungry lion ready to pounce.

Christmas traditionally is a beacon of hope. If we’re not careful, however, the season can easily become a breeding ground for disaster. All the merrymaking could blind us to the growing existence of a deadly killer disease lurking amongst us — the COVID-19 and all its variants.

To illustrate these hidden dangers, we are revealing 10 of the worst places to be in America these days. Truth be told, skipping these places may ultimately mean freeing yourself of the agony of an untimely trip to the hospital this wintertime.

Moreover, these risks point out how one thermal camera from PerfectPrime can be a treasure trove for you and everyone you hold close to your heart: people at work and people at home.

Omicron: A Dark Cloud Looms Over Winter

There’s a huge difference between panicking and being carefree. Both can get you in an extremely tough spot when disaster strikes.

For instance, when snowstorms are in the offing (as they often will in this time of year), panicking can translate to knee-jerk reactions that only put you in a bigger hole. Being carefree is even worse. It means your precious abode is a sitting duck — and will likely be wrecked apart by strong winds or rampaging floods when you least expect it.

Truly, this is where the rubber meets the road. Proper assessment of the presence of danger is essential to effectively prevent it from wreaking havoc in your life. Looking at the spread of Omicron, the newest COVID-19 variant to hit town (predicted to be much more sinister than the Delta variant), in the UnitedStates with keen eyes should be wise. Here’s a bird’s eye view:

 Graphics 1: Recent Omicron Spread by State in America (CDC data)

Graphics 1: Recent Omicron Spread by State in America (CDC data)

Certainly, there’s a good chance the picture above will contain more states
under attack by the virus as the holidays approach. It sure explains why the
federal health agency was adamant in investigating a recent Anime Convention in NYC last November (19-21). As it turns out, one of the attendees - a man from Minnesota - tested positive of the Omicron variant.

Ten Places to Avoid Like the Plague this Holiday

Ten Places to Avoid Like the Plague this Holiday

Indeed, that tells you making sure you are in the right place at the right time
matters. It’s why skipping the following 10 places listed below can be just the
timely decision you need. Note that we are ordering these places according to
their inherent risks on a scale of 1 to 10 — starting with the riskiest.

 Table 1: Top 10 Places to Avoid this Season

Table 1: Top 10 Places to Avoid this Season

 

1) Bars and Jails/Prisons

At first, you’d find bars and jails/prisons to be a pair cut from two different cloths. The former is born out of the desire to entertain one’s self while the latter is something no one would wish upon himself. And yes, far too often one could lead to the other. Too much alcohol while staying in a bar can land one in prison. 

But, MSN along with CivicMeter agree that bars and jail/prison are the riskiest places that could get you infected with the COVID-19 virus. Why? It’s simple. You are constantly rubbing your elbows with a stranger. Such close contact added with the human inclination to chime in on a wonderful conversation can easily lead to an untimely infection. 

Infection Risk Scale: 8.85

Associated Press data revealed over 500,000 people in America’s prisons have contracted the virus. A prison is especially a dire situation. Bereft of their freedoms, prisoners are forced to live in close contact with one another even despite infections.

 

2) Nursing Homes

What makes nursing homes especially vulnerable are the people living inside them. Catering mostly to the elderly and the disabled, long-term care facilities are hot zone for the spread of the virus. Weakened by the torments of a wide range of old-age diseases, the majority of these patients are easy pickings for a wildly contagious virus. 

Infection Risk Scale: 8.73

June 1, 2021 data showed the virus has infected over 1.38 million Americans at some 32,000 facilities all over America. Consequently, over a third of the total number of people who have died from the virus came from these places, according to CDC data. 

 

3) Indoor Theatres/Churches

Again, a church in service means a congregation of people in prayer. That’s a lot of people in close contact with one another, singing and exchanging pleasantries. Imagine the possibility of droplets forming and coming out of one’s mouth as people banter or say their prayers. The same holds for people in a cinema or a theater.  

Infection Risk Scale: 8.15

In the early days of the pandemic in America, churches were eager to reopen only to have infection cases linked to religious events spiraling to nearly a hundred. One church in South Korea, Shincheonji, had over 5,000 COVID-19 cases. 

 

4) Indoor Restaurants

The fact that air is circulating in a tight space means your chances of catching the virus are higher when eating indoors in a restaurant rather than outside. America’s top doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, confirmed that dining indoors is a lot riskier than eating outside. 

Infection Risk Scale: 7.54

CDC data revealed that COVID-19 infections along with the death rate rose higher in American counties this year where in-person dining or mask requirements were not enforced. 

 

5) Outdoor Stadiums during Large Events

It’s a perfect storm. When rock concerts, sports events gather a prodigious number of people in a stadium, the incidence of infection could potentially go sky-high. That’s too many people coming in contact with one another in the entrances, the hallways, and the exits, not to mention while enjoying the event. 

Infection Risk Scale: 7.54

This year, a recent British "music festival has resulted in nearly 5,000 attendees being infected with the virus. 

 

6) Fitness Gyms

Well, you could be itching to flex your muscles in your fave fitness gym as New Year approaches. But, shelving that plan may well be the best gift you can give for yourself as a new year arrives. Spending an inordinate amount of time in a gym can mean being exposed to fluids that carry the virus. And Dr. Fauci agrees

Infection Risk Scale: 7.5

There’s a reason Japan moved for faster beats inside fitness gyms. All that people sweating and talking can be one superspreader event in the making. And recent studies this year found out coronavirus spreads rapidly in these places. Exhibit A: Superspreader events in Honolulu and Chicago. 

 

7) Outside Gatherings without Social Distancing

The more people you mingle with outside, the greater the risks — all the more if you’re not socially distanced. So be it a beach wedding or a graduation ceremony, put on a mask and mind your own. You can always make your presence felt without having to chitchat. 

Infection Risk Scale: 7.38

Last year, just as winter was set to begin in early October, a wedding on Long Island, New York, became a super-spreader event. Of the over 100 who attended, 34 caught the virus. It’s one instance when “letting your guards down” became a “blatant disregard for the wellbeing of others”. 

 

8) Airports

When you’re all set for your flight, you might let your guard down: forget about safety protocols while waiting in an airport. Remember though that these are the places where strangers all over the land converge. You are exposed to frequently touched surfaces when you line up, not to mention seat beside someone who could be a virus carrier. 

Infection Risk Scale: 6.73

In light of the Omicron variant spreading, Canadian officials made COVID-19 testing mandatory in airports. The problem is space. Airports may not be able to house effective testing for everyone who boards or land this holiday season.

 

9) Airplanes

Well, there’s a lot of pundits who trumpet that flights aren’t risky. But think about it. Social distancing is certainly hard when you’re flying in mid-air. You make do with that cramped space. And that could mean being exposed to infected droplets floating in the air.  

Infection Risk Scale: 6.65

As Omicron hit the worldwide news, FDA is recommending testing and antiviral pill for fliers and high-risk adults. 

 

10) Hospitals

You might be wondering why hospitals are at the lower end of this scale risk. And that’s because there are usually stricter safety protocols in these institutions. Still, if you’re not careful, you could be exposed to the virus with infected COVID-19 patients admitted day by day. 

Infection Risk Scale: 6.24

A recent study showed that most hospital patients who were infected contracted the virus from other patients — and not from health workers. 

 

The Thermal Camera for the Job

Looking at the risky places above, we realize that the name of the game is prevention. Once the virus is set, reining it in can be a tall order, not to mention futile. The sad part of that story is thousands of Americans have realized the dangers of their actions way too late

Exposing ourselves to instances where Omicron (or any variant of the virus) could thrive is simply asking for it. It’s counterintuitive. And this is where a thermal camera is spot-on. 

While an infrared camera cannot cure you, the electronic device can play a central role in preventing the coronavirus from taking hold of your body. And by a mile. Its ability to detect people around you who could be infected is not only quick but effective. 

Even better, we’re showing you a monumental product specifically designed to detect fever: PerfectPrime’s IR0280H. Indeed, there are a host of COVID-19 symptoms other than an above-average temperature reading. But as CDC puts it, the most common symptom of them all is fever. Not interacting with a person with fever, therefore, is one of the best ways to prevent infection. 

IR0280H Fever Detection Thermal Camera

IR0280H Fever Detection Thermal Camera

1) Designed to Detect Fever

If there’s one thing the virus is showing us, its ability to infect human hosts at a dizzying speed is top of that list. Imagining how fast the contagion spread all over America right from Day 1 is simply jaw-dropping. 

That a country so blessed with economic and military power such as America would succumb and be on its knees is downright unthinkable. But to date, the Land of the Brave still has racked the biggest number of infections and deaths due to the coronavirus. The last look, there are over 49 million Americans infected with the virus while over 790,000 have died. 

What makes the IR0280H so useful is it is specifically designed for fever detection. Simply put, not all thermal cameras are built to do so. While many infrared cameras over the years have been used in various human pursuits - from detecting the birth of stars to helping put out fires - zeroing in on body heat is another story altogether. 

Right now, you must bear in mind that when it comes to temperature sensing, there’s nothing like the safety provided for a thermal camera. Unlike your traditional mercury-based thermometers or your industrial temperature sensors (e.g., thermocouples), you need not be in direct contact with a human to obtain his thermal reading. In short, you’re perfectly capable of detection at a distance. 

Even better, you don’t have just an ordinary run-of-the-mill thermal imaging device here. Equipped with advanced German chip technology, you have a device that is capable of detecting minute changes in record time. 

To note, PerfectPrime’s IR0280H has accuracy levels of  0.6°F or 0.3°C. That’s an extremely high level of accuracy knowing most thermal imaging cameras today are operating at 3% accuracy or 3°C (6°F). 

What that means is the IR0280H is in a better position to capture smaller spikes in body heat than the competition. And that’s good news for you. That way, you need not wait for someone to reach furious hot levels of fever to act. You can detect a sudden rise in body heat even when in small increments. 

Think about it. If you wait for someone’s fever to rise to an ear temperature of 100.4 °F or 38°C or an oral temperature of 100 °F or 37.4°C, it may already be too late. Your employee or your household member could have spread the disease to you or someone else close to you. 

Would you rather leave things to chance? Of course not. Looking at the merits of the IR0280H should be wise. Here’s detailed graphics to show you more. 

  

2) Effective Crowd Control

One of the hardest things to do when you run a business is to ensure everyone’s safety. Small wonder many establishments today made sure all sorts of thermal cameras are guarding their entrances. 

The deeper question therefore is will the device they’re confident about doing the job?  Being able to detect one person passing by is one thing; detecting a crowd going inside your store premises together is another. 

Then again, this is where the IR0280H stands out once more. For starters, you won’t have to be a technical expert to set the device up. It’s simply plug-and-play. That way you can start screening crowds in a snap. 

What’s more, you can easily set this PerfectPrime product offering just about anywhere. The handy 23-gram electronics (about as heavy as 3 pens) can be easily mounted on a tripod with its ready-to-use tripod mount. 

But that’s just for starters. You have an automatic crowd-sensing temperature gauge here. Capable of elevated skin detection, the IR0280H will yield the temperature reading of the hottest area of a person’s skin — be it his hands, forehead, or exposed skin. 

So you need not worry about letting someone with a rising fever in your store. This PerfectPrime offering will guard your premises with an eagle eye: perfect for schools, shopping malls, airports, and business centers. 

 

3) Automatic Alarm

Now, you might be wondering if you’ll have to give your thermal imaging device a lot of attention for it to work. And this is where it gets really interesting. PerfectPrime, the company that has marketed to the world some of the best IoT devices and industrial temperature sensors throughout these years, is giving you a product that’s not high-maintenance. 

In short, you don’t need to watch over this fever detection device to get the results you need. Why? That’s simply because it’s the other way around. The IR0280H, once it detects feverish temperatures, will notify you via an alarm. Yes, you heard that right. The device will alert you when someone is detected with a fever. 

And yet, there’s more. Not only will the IR0280H alert you of a possible find, but also it will take a photo of the individual with a fever. How cool is that? That can only mean you can track not only the presence of a COVID-19 risk but also know who the person is — all done in an automatic fashion. 

4) Scan Farther than Most

You certainly don’t want to be too involved with the scanning process. As much as possible, you should be at least a meter away to be safe. If you want it safe, CDC recommends school children be at least 3 feet away from each other when in school. That may sound a bit far but your mantra these days should be “better safe than sorry”. 

Nevertheless, this is where PerfectPrime’s IR0280H works its magic best. The device can detect human fever even from a distance of 2.5 meters. That certainly leaves a lot of thermal cameras out there eating dust. Just imagine how much you can do with one. 

Of course, you don’t want to be short-handed in protecting your interests. To guide you here’s a timely infographic from PerfectPrime. 

5) Way Affordable

Now, you could be thinking surely, this fever detecting device from PerfectPrime will cost a fortune. With all the benefits it can give (that no other thermal device can), it’s bound to drill a huge hole in your wallet. 

The short answer? No, sir. 

And you can repeat that with all certainty. In the spirit of the season, PerfectPrime is even dropping the price to less than $500. Amazing right? Well, here’s what you get when you send that order. 

Here’s to sending the product your way. Lest we forget, a thermal camera can protect you from a lot more dangers this Christmas than you can imagine. That’s telling you, this holiday season may well be your best holiday season yet. 

Just steer clear of the 10 risky places we described above to avoid Omicron and COVID-19 in all its form. And not be a sitting duck and target of a deadly killer. 

Best of all, don’t let your guard down and keep yourself protected always. In the yuletide season, that should include the best fever-detecting thermal camera on the planet. 

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