Thousands of miles from the heart of the outbreak, a small technology supplier in Beaumont, Texas, has also been feeling the crush of demand. The company, Infrared Cameras Inc, makes high-tech imaging equipment as well as infrared thermometers, which cost $25 apiece.
In a normal month, the company sells about 100 infrared cameras, according to its chief executive, Gary Strahan. Since January, the company has sold more than 1,000, supplying schools, cruise ships, factories, offices, hospitals, and theaters in countries like China and South Korea.
Mr. Strahan said he had been working every day from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. to keep up with the orders.
“It’s the most overwhelming thing I’ve had to deal with in my life,” he said. “We’ve got people coming to us directly, saying: ‘Can you supply 1,000 cameras? Can you supply 2,000 cameras?’”
The company’s cameras and thermometer guns have a margin of error of 0.1 to 0.2 degrees Celsius, according to Mr. Strahan, who has been selling infrared cameras since the 1990’s. But many products on the market are less reliable.
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