Travelling for Ramadan

Function Of Fever:

When a child or parent becomes feverish with shivers, chills, and sweats, our first thought is to get the temperature down. Pharmacies sell billions of fever-reducing pills like aspirin and acetaminophen every year, and schools often insist that students stay home until their fever is gone.

But is this "fever phobia" backed up by science?

Increasingly, medical researchers are discovering that fever has endured in mammals and other creatures for good reasons, though the reasons why are not clear. Often, a fever in response to an infection is actually a reflection of the body's defenses going into high gear. Some parts of the immune system work better at a higher temperature, which strengthens resistance to infection and increases the odds of survival.

The new thinking is that mild fever can be a positive adaptation and shouldn't necessarily be treated. At other times, though, fever may spur the microbes' growth rate by raising the temperature of the host body. In this case, the attackers have evolved a way to chemically manipulate the host's immune system for their own advantage. And a high fever is a danger sign, especially in young children.

What is this mysterious phenomenon, fever? It's not simply a rise in body temperature. It is an upward shift in the body's "set point," or core temperature, which is regulated by the hypothalamus in the brain. In response to an infection, the body releases chemicals that cause a sensation of being cold. The hypothalamus then raises the set point by making the body burn fat, reduce blood flow to the skin, and shiver.

Most of the time, fever isn't dangerous in itself, but a patient will feel more comfortable at a lower temperature. In a dramatic demonstration of fever's benefits, researcher Matthew Kluger infected desert iguanas with bacteria.

Because these lizards are cold-blooded, they could only warm their bodies by seeking outside heat -- in this case, sunlamps. All except one of 13 iguanas sought the warmth to raise their temperatures, and those 12 survived; the other one died.

After that, Kluger injected 12 other iguanas with live bacteria, and also gave them a fever-fighting drug. Five of them failed to develop a fever, and died as a result. The other seven, which somehow became feverish despite the drug, survived.

Despite experiments like this, scientists haven't yet answered all their questions about this common and ancient body symptom.

Recording The Body Temperature

Recording the body temperature a) Rectal temperature : is measured by using a rectal thermometer which has rounded, atraumatic bulbous ends. It is inserted carefully, generally about 5 cm in infants and 7 cm in children. Equilibration takes 2-4 minutes with a mercury thermometer. B) Axillary and oral temperature: are the usual methods in older children and adults but they are unreliable as they are subject to variation. C) Device such as "temperature strips" measure skin temperature but may under estimate core temperature. D) Electronic thermometers requiring 30 sec to equilibrate, are practical, for hospital, clinic and office use. E) Auditory canal temperature: is measured as a fraction of infrared emissions. F) Urinary temperature. Which to follow ? The most accurate measurements are made when the thermometer is left in the mouth for 3 minutes (the readings taken < 2 min are inaccurate). In younger children and infants, it is preferable to measure axillary temperature for convenience. The measurement is read as X degree F by axilla and there is no need to add (the conventional) 1 degree F to give the final reading.

Body Temperature Standard Proves Problematic As A Coronavirus Indicator

At the outset of the coronavirus pandemic early this year, the Japanese government advised people to seek medical assistance if their body temperature was 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher. The standard is no longer in place, but some businesses and industry groups continue to use it to guide their own approach.

An actor in a play running in Tokyo's Shinjuku district arrived at the theater ahead of a show this month saying he was feeling unwell. But with a temperature below 37.5 degrees and a negative antibody test, he was allowed to perform as usual. The theater was later found to be the epicenter of an infection cluster.

37.5 degrees Celsius standard dropped

The 37.5 degree standard was included in the Health Ministry's initial set of criteria to help people determine whether to seek medical help. But it was dropped from the list of symptoms in May out of a concern that people would interpret it to mean they could not contact a doctor or public health center if their temperature was below the mark.

The revised criteria has no reference to a specific body temperature, and instead urges people to contact a health center immediately if they show any of the following: difficulty breathing, intense fatigue, high fever. It also states elderly people and those with underlying conditions should seek help even if they display mild symptoms such as fever or coughing.

Standard persists in other settings

In addition to the government criteria, private industry and workplace standards play a crucial role in preventing the spread of the virus. Businesses follow their own guidelines, but NHK has found that some industry standards include irrelevant body temperature thresholds that are likely based on the 37.5 degrees criterion from the original Health Ministry list.

NHK examined guidelines drawn up by 151 industry groups. As of Saturday, 27 of these included specific body temperature thresholds, such as 37.5 degrees.

Tokyo Medical University Professor Hamada Atsuo says while it is easy to understand why these groups have put such standards in place, there is no medical basis for it.

"You could be infected even when your temperature is 37.2 degrees or when you have no fever at all," he says.

Professor Hamada says there is no medical basis for a body temperature standard.

The Japan Nailist Association, an organization that oversees nail salons, dropped specific body temperatures from its guidelines after the government's May announcement. It now urges people to seek medical assistance "if there are any signs of fever."

Association board member Hagiwara Naomi says the group will continue to revise and update its guidelines as the situation unfolds.

The Japan Nailist Association says it will continue updating its guidelines to match the latest information.

Professor Hamada says because so much remains unknown about the virus, it is impossible to set numerical standards, such as a body temperature threshold. He wants preventive measures to be established with consideration for as many people as possible.

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