Yesterday I flew from Atlanta to Detroit next to a lovely woman who later told me that she lives in Mexico City. She was on her way to Detroit to visit her son. We talked about all the efforts and precautions that are being taken in Mexico City to thwart to the spread of H1N1. Before you can get on a plane there or on the train, you have to touch something that reveals whether or not you have a temperature. You are asked a few questions about your health. If there is any temp or issue, you are not allowed to tavel. This technology is available in Mexico, but unseen throughout my travels this past week in the good ol’ USA. This lady normally could fly direct to Detroit, but now she had to make a few stops into countries that don’t have a problem and then on into the US. She was well equipped with surgical masks and disinfecting wipes. She is an American citizen who lives in Mexico City (husband works there) and is very impressed with the actions the Mexican govt. took to protect the people.
That reinforces the comment made by Sen. Collins re: sensors in use in 6 other countries to detect ill people. As far as that goes, the Senator is correct. We should take advantage of technology to protect ourselves.
The problem is, as Mr. Barnett stated, for every person coming into the US by air or rail, there are a thousand crossing the border between US Ports of Entry. Those thousand individuals are not screened for anything; there is no way to know whether or not the flu comes across the border in the dead of night...
Unfortunately, these scanners cannot detect those who are contagious, but asymptomatic. The period where people are contagious, but not yet sick, is not something that a scanner, or any technology can detect. Not that they are not a good idea, because I believe that they are. They cannot prevent the transmission of the flu, only help to prevent the most obvious cases.
Good to hear that the Mexican government had a strong response.