How to nerf thermals in a non-arcady way

Let's talk about how we can nerf thermals without turning the game into an arcade shooter. Here are some myths (and honestly d*mb sh*t) I've seen in the comments that we should avoid. (I'll add more as they come with the comments...)

• "Thermal imaging is only useful at night." Thermal imaging detects heat signatures, making it effective in both darkness and daylight.
• "Rain makes thermal imaging useless." That’s incorrect, even in heavy rainfall.
• "Thermal imaging is only useful at short range." Wrong - human targets can be detected several kilometers away.
• "There are stims/pills you can take that lower your body temperature enough to be hidden from thermal imaging." I just won’t comment on that.
• "Covering your body in mud". That doesn't work sorry.

Here are some suggestions to balance or nerf T7.

• Thermal cloaks (blankets). The more you use them, the more they start to bleed, but they should still be enough to get you from cover to cover. They also cost like a lot, though still much less than T7.
• Water. Wherever there’s a stream of water, and you go prone in it, it gives you a couple of minutes of invisibility as you lowered you're body temperature and that of the clothes.
• Battery life (run time) shouldn't take you through the whole game, unless you stack on batteries which take space and have weight.
• Higher cost. It's expensive as is but whatever.
• Glass should block visibility. I don't even know why it's not implemented yet. It's a must.
• Armor should block heat signature to a degree (if it's not already implemented in the game)