Cash contamination with Coronavirus

WILLEMSTAD - According to the US Federal Reserve and Treasury, paper currency  is made from 75% cotton and 25% linen, the surface of the bills is fibrous allowing germs to adhere more easily and survive longer than they can on smooth objects, studies showed microbes can persist on surfaces for as long as 9 days and it is obvious that cleaning the paper bill is more difficult than cleaning a plastic or glass surface, theoretically, it is possible that the virus might survive on the dollar’s cotton and linen weave paving the way for a COVID-19 cash transmission from a person to another, some stores in the US  like the burger chain “Dick’s Drive-in “are placing signs asking customers to pay with credit or debit cards rather than cash as a precaution.

WHO has not issued any warnings or statements about the use of cash. But of course, it is a must to wash hands after handling money, especially when eating or touching food.

Is there a risk for using cash? The Treasury is waiting for advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in case of any negative announcement, firms such as Visa Inc & Mastercard Inc would benefit the most, digital payment will take over almost everything, which is very good to fight corruption but going cashless for some people is worrisome, many of the population are either unbanked or underbanked, and it is not easy to implement inclusive cashless commerce.

In China, the people’s Bank of China began using ultraviolet light and high-temperature ovens to disinfect cash coming in and replaced old notes with newly minted bills.

Assuming that most banks have their own protocol for handling bills and packaging the contaminated ones aside, the fear of the virus spread through cash is still inexorable.




Share