Just as we thought we had the delta variant of the Corona virus under control, the Omikron variant has now struck. Omikron is not just another delta variant. It is far more dangerous. Why? Because it has a R rate of three. In other words, such a reproduction number means that every infected individual will infect 3 (!) others.
However, there is more to it. Children were relatively safe with previous versions of the virus. No longer. When infected with Omikron, even young children can become very ill. Also, vaccinated adults are not safe from the disease. Even people who have had two vaccinations – so two doses of the vaccine – are not as protected as we were with the delta variant, for example. Another third vaccination, a booster, is absolutely necessary.
Getting fully immunized – that is: three shots – is our first line of defense against the Omikron virus. However, that may not be enough for a large number of people, because many people will get infected. Many of them will need medical treatment in a hospital. That means that detecting any infection as soon as possible is essential.
What is the best early warning system we have? Exactly: our body temperature.
A person infected with Omikron will experience a rise in body temperature. We will soon be suffering from a full-blown fever. In other words, it is vital that we check ourselves, our children, and other family members for a fever in a structured way. How do you check for fever in a well-structured manner? Taking our temperature at least twice daily is the best way to check our health. Take your first reading in the morning. Take your second reading in the evening. Why should we check ourselves twice a day? Because our body temperature rises during the day. The difference between our temperature in the morning and in the evening can be a large as 0,9 oC. This is called the Circadian Cycle, which is a perfectly normal rise in temperature. We may very well miss a fever if we do not measure ourselves twice a day. Because 0,9 oC is quite a big difference, we could potentially lose a full day while we are already infected, but not yet able to detect the fact that we are indeed infected. This may complicate our treatment, but it might also mean that we are with other people for a full day. We might infect a lot of other people without realizing it as we have Omikron in our midst.
Your thermometer will be used a lot when checking for fever. That means it is very important that you use a thermometer that is both accurate and comfortable. Especially for children.
Accuracy may seem obvious, but it is not always the case. The infrared guns that measure a person’s temperature from a distance, for example, are highly inaccurate. Why is this? An IR gun simply measures the skin’s temperature. In medical terms, that’s the same as the outside temperature. What we really need to know is the body temperature.
Also, we want our kids to accept us taking their temperature a lot. An ear thermometer is invasive, very uncomfortable and could touch the ear drum which is rather painful. In addition, it is very difficult to position an ear thermometer correctly in the ear canal
The best thermometer is one that is not only highly accurate but also very comfortable. The Temporal Artery Thermometer is probably the best choice. A gentle swipe of the thermometer across the forehead, slightly touching the skin, is all it takes to obtain an accurate temperature reading. The fantastic thing to know is that it actually measures the temperature of the blood in the temporal artery which is only positioned 2 mm below the skin on the forehead. A child’s temperature can even be taken while he or she is asleep. It is that simple. If they are awake, taking their temperature can even become a game you play with them. You’ll both enjoy it! While at the same time you can rest assured that checking for fever is necessary but can now be done in a way that is easy and comfortable.
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