Coronavirus sparks run on thermometers in Fresno area. Health officials have advice

Hand cleaner, toilet paper and basic household supplies are not the only items in short supply in the central San Joaquin Valley due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. It’s also hard to get hold of a thermometer.

A check of Fresno-area pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens, as well as major retailers Walmart and Target, found the basic health measuring devices missing from shelves. Amazon reported thermometers out of stock to online buyers, as well.

The Centers for Disease Control lists fever, along with a cough and shortness of breath as key warnings of the onset of coronavirus. The CDC also reports that fever is rare in a cold, but common in coronavirus.

So what do health authorities say you should do if you are unable to buy a thermometer?

Dr. Rais Vohra, interim health officer for Fresno County, called the unavailability of the devices “concerning,” but that everyone should be alert for feelings of a fever or chills.

“It’s important to take time out and pay attention to your own body.”

He said a sore throat or a runny nose are other early clues that a patient might have the virus. Do a symptom check, he said.

“If I’m just not feeling myself, that’s a big red flag,” Vohra said.

Madera County bought in bulk

In Madera County, Public Health Director Sara Bosse said her logistics team was able to find a source for thermometers online, and purchased “a couple hundred of them.”

The department is also tapping state and federal government sources to acquire more. The plan is to get them to health care workers as a priority but also to make some available to those in self-isolation, because they should be fever-free for three days as a part of a return to contact with others, Bosse said.

Looking forward, Bosse said Madera County would like to make sure school sites and major employers have access to a thermometer to conduct a quick check of those on site.

“A least for a while, until a vaccination is available,” she said.

She agreed with Vohra that everyone needs to take stock of how they feel.

“For the most part, human beings have a pretty good gauge of how they are feeling.”

This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 5:43 PM.