The exchange of CASH MONEY is one way of spreading the virus.

[BComplex]

And, in my best guess, is why people are turning up all over the place testing positive (or with symptoms) that haven't been out of the country, or in close contact with those from countries testing high positive.

Money gets handled by lots of people, who are in contact with lots of other people. Retail stores, liquor stores, fast food stores.

Let's say you drive up and pay for your BigMac with a $20. So, the guy before you in line gave the correct change for his purchase....a couple of ones or a five and such....and he just got off the cruise ship...hasn't tested positive yet.

Then, at the window, you get that guy's $5 bill in change for your $20, plus some coins he had rattling around after he wiped his nose and took the change.

Anyway, you get the picture. Money....the root of all evil under the best of circumstances...could be the root cause here.

The reason this is important to me is because my husband works in retail....at the cash register.

[Squinch]

1. Yipes. Of course! But I never thought of it.

[BComplex]

4. We had this discussion after watching Rachel last night.

I asked him to put his clothes in the laundry and go wash up. We talked about him being really careful about not touching his eyes/mouth/nose while at work.

[dewsgirl]

2. You are right. Especially with it living on surfaces

up to 9 days.
I have been thinking about this for a while now.
There isn't a whole lot we can do at the moment, when I do have to go out even wiping down the shopping cart, using my knuckles on the debit card machine, my mind still finds 10 other ways I could catch it. Life has to go on.

[unblock]

3. So you're suggesting we should launder our money?

[BComplex]

5. Well, I hadn't thought of that!

But I know trump could give us all some pointers...maybe do a commercial?

[2naSalit]

6. ...

might make more that way!

[BComplex]

9. And that's truly all he cares about.

That and his ego.

[erronis]

7. I know a peeResident who will do that (for a fee)

mNuchin has set up a bunch of Treasury ATMs where you can deposit your real money for trump$$$s.

[BComplex]

10. Now there's a guy who needs to handle some cash

off the cruise ship. Mnuchin...what a waste of good air.

[GusBob]

8. Any item you purchase can be handled tho, correct?

Cash or card?
And with card you touch some device?

[BComplex]

11. I guess that, too.

We're around a lot of exchanges in our society every day. Just going to buy a loaf of bread means you're exchanging cooties with SOMEBODY!

[GusBob]

12. It could very well be argued a pin pad is more dangerous

Than cash?

[BComplex]

13. Oh lord. I hadn't thought of that.

The pin pad where you put in your debit card pin has also been touched by a whole host of people. Or the gas pump. The things we touch every day that other people have already touched is a pretty extensive list.

[Kaleva]

15. I keep hand saintizer in my car which i use after leaving a premise.

I used it several times today after stopping at two banks, a gas station, a car wash, and two stores.

[Ms. Toad]

66. and the virus is more likely to live longer on the plastic surface

Plastic and glass are the two surfaces I know have been tested for the virus living up to 9 days.

[RockRaven]

14. Cashless isn't perfect either, if you have to use a stylus or keypad. Tap-to-pay cards/card readers

are a possibility in some cases, but hardly universal. That said, keypads and styluses can be cleaned regularly by the store, unlike cash money.

[BComplex]

16. True that.

You also have to think about the folks stocking the things you're buying...where have those items been? We are all very tied together in this world. To think otherwise is, or could be, fatal?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. Has anyone actually bothered to test currency?

Look, EVERYTHING has some kind of germs on it. And if you're not paying with cash you're paying with debit or credit card and touching a terminal or touch pad that countless others have also touched.

I've been hearing for years about how dangerous real currency is because of the supposed germs it carries. I've never seen anything that actually tests or supports that.

Personally, I pay for most things with cash, because for me it's a better way to manage my money. Those of you who prefer credit or debit cards, you're simply choosing a different way to manage your money.

And remind me just how many cruise ships have had passengers with the corona virus? Seven? Eleven? Twenty-four? I keep forgetting.

[BComplex]

20. Not that I've ever heard of.

Good point! I hope they will test it, and let us know.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

37. Somehow I think that if currency really

harbored viruses, that would have become glaringly obvious by now.

I know that when students take a micro-biology class, and they're sent out to swab things, they are horrified at how many germs and the like are out there, on every surface. Meanwhile, most of us aren't picking up disease from random public places like toilets or door handles. Or dollar bills and quarters.

[Tanuki]

42. Yes. Money is filthy.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/dirty-money-germs-and-dope-cling-to-your-cash/

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

44. Yeah, but do people actually get sick from the currency?

THAT'S the real question that's not being answered.

[canetoad]

61. Good questions

Couldn't find anything about COVID-19 but this is about flu and seems quite relevant.

..snip
"We didn't study directly the transmission from banknotes to fingers and from fingers to upper respiratory tract," says study co-author Yves Thomas, director of the National Influenza Research Centre at Geneva University Hospital.

Studies suggest that the virus can only live on the skin for up to five minutes, which might be due to a variety of factors including temperature and pH of the skin, says Allison Aiello, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. That means, she says, that "even if it's on the bill, you are in much better shape if you can inactivate it on human skin." The best way to do that? Wash your hands frequently and do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth unless you have done so immediately before. Aiello says, "The reason I recommend frequent hand washing during influenza season is because the eyes, nose, and mouth are all membrane passages for self-inoculation with the flu virus which then makes it's way to epithelial cells, usually in the nose, throat and lungs where it replicates."

In addition, says Thomas, not all banknotes have the ability to shelter live viruses like the Swiss currency (Swiss franc) he and colleagues used in their study.

"The composition of banknotes is different from one country to he other," he says, noting that he has no clue whether the findings would translate to U.S. dollars or other international paper currency. But whether the money's dirty or not, the best way to avoid the flu, says Aiello, is to get the flu shot and scrub those paws frequently.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/news-blog/dirty-money-can-the-flu-be-passed-o-2009-01-05/

[usedtobedemgurl]

18. Do not forget store loyalty cards and items handed to you

If you hand a cashier a loyalty card, every other one she touched, as well as cash, now has germs passed onto you. I carry portable wipes and Lysol On The Go spray. I do not touch door handles - I use a wipe if it is not an automatic door. I wipe carts. I wipe items, before putting them in my cart. I use self checkout. I wipe the screen and the touch pad before I use them. I bag my own items. Even if you use a self pay app at McDonald's, you still have the food changing a lot of hands, before getting to the restaurant. Then you have a bunch of folks unloading the items, moving it to the cooking area, handling and preparing boxes, and handing condiments, cups, food packaging, as well as the cashier who has handled everyone's cash and cards all day and hands you the bag. I do not eat out right now. I am compromised with my immune system. I am doing my best to stay safe. Workers entered my house two days ago, and I greeted them with a bottle of hand sanitizer. They were not allowed to come into my house until they used it.

Do these things seem extreme? Well thought out? At least I am trying not to spread germs and attempting to protect myself. I will go to an early afternoon movie with my son next week. I have to for a mystery shopping job. I will go early, to avoid people as much as possible. I will have exact change. After I am given my ticket, I will use hand sanitizer. When I reach my seat, I will spray it with the Lysol to go. I would not do this almost under any other administration. I do not trust this thing is not larger than they are letting on. Look at how it is in other countries. Look at how they handled the folks returning from the cruise. They are incompetent. We all have to take safety measures to protect ourselves when Trump is at the helm.

[BComplex]

21. You're very careful. That's good!

I hope you stay safe as a result. I'm going to start doing some of those things you mentioned now that we're talking about all of this.

[usedtobedemgurl]

24. BComplex...

Thank you. I am trying. I feel like we are all on our own with this one. You can but Clorox Wipes in packs of 70. They are easier to carry than a bottle. The Lysol To Go is usually in the travel section. I picked up mine at Target.

Also, if you decide to stock up at all, just in case, do you like milk? We all know it has a pretty short expiration date. You can Google ultra pasteurized milk and find it at local grocery stores. I bought a 12 pack of Horizon organic milk boxes a few days ago. They are smaller, so if I open one and do not finish it in a few days, it is no biggie, if it goes bad. They do not need to be refrigerated. The expiration date on them is June. I now have milk for pastas, cereal, etc. Even if I am hold away for three weeks, I am good!

If you have some tips, please do share them. We can all help each other with our ideas.

[BComplex]

25. Thanks for those tips!

Very smart ideas!

[womanofthehills]

52. Milk also freezes well

you Just need to leave space at the top.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

38. Yes, those things do seem extreme.

I recently read that people who clean constantly actually harbor more germs because they spread them around with all that cleaning. Perhaps what you are doing is a bit different, but you really are overreacting.

[usedtobedemgurl]

46. I Know It Seems Extreme, But As I Said...

It would not be needed if we did not have an incompetent asshole in charge if our government.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

59. But nothing has changed, not really.

People in this country, at least so far are not dying in outrageous numbers from this virus. Face masks won't protect you. Worrying about germs on currency or on restroom doorknobs is dumb. That's not how you get diseases.

Yes, we have an incompetent asshole in charge, but that does not change fundamental aspects of biology.

[usedtobedemgurl]

62. Okay.

I heard it could survive on surfaces, so you should wash your hands regularly. Please link me to where it does not survive on surfaces, like money or door knobs. Thanks, in advance.

[Wellstone ruled]

19. Yup,Money and Door knobs.

And any Public Bathroom no matter where. BTW,keep your hands out of your hair,another spore collector.

[BComplex]

22. Yep. Someone who is contaminated sneezes, your hair catches the spores.

Touch your hair, scratch an itchy nose. Boom!

[Wellstone ruled]

23. Not forget,the dirtess tool in the House is your comb

and hair brush.

[louis-t]

26. People lick their fingers when counting your change back to you.

Makes me nutso.

[BComplex]

27. Just hope it doesn't make you infected with the coronavirus, also!

Yeah, that's pretty nasty.

[Pachamama]

28. Chinese are destroying a lot of the currency that has been circulating and replacing it....

You are correct.

They believe that the COVID-19 virus can remain on surfaces for as long as a week.

[BComplex]

30. Wow! Really?

I didn't know that, but it makes a lot of sense. I'm glad the Chinese are doing that. Maybe that's one of the reasons their infection rates are going down. They seem to be taking a lot of drastic precautions.

[Pachamama]

41. I need to locate the info where I saw this...think it was out of an investor news brief from Europe

The science researchers discovered how long it lingers on the surface of things, so they are trying to identify all possible transmission vehicles and currency was determined there to be one of the top means. We tend here in US to use more plastic than cash in general, but in China, especially at many of the markets and day to day life, cash is primary.

[littlemissmartypants]

63. China plan to destroy paper currency...

China’s central bank says it plans to destroy most of the banknotes collected by hospitals, markets, and buses in some regions hard hit by the new coronavirus. Fan Yifei, deputy governor of the Chinese central bank, said they plan to out pump 600 billion yuan ($85.6 billion) of freshly printed paper currency to replace the bills taken out of circulation. In other areas of the country, the government has ordered banks to remove incoming paper currency from circulation and replace it with the new cash.

Link: https://www.thedailybeast.com/china-to-destroy-paper-currency-from-hardest-hit-coronavirus-regions

❤

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

39. What I've read is that they are doing something to disinfect it.

Has anyone actually conducted any tests to see if the currency actual harbors the virus and passes it on to the next person?

[Ms. Toad]

67. I haven't been able to find anything

about paper (generally) or currency (specificall). The tests have generally been for glass, metal, and plastic surfaces.

[MadLinguist]

29. Is the duration of covid19 viability on any surface actually known?

We have all heard the 14 day life cycle of the virus upon infecting its host. I've not heard anything at all about its survival time outside the host. If someone has information, as opposed to opinion , please post.

[MadLinguist]

35. Ok. Discussed elsewhere on DU, here's a link RE similar virus

https://qz.com/1810508/covid-19-can-likely-live-up-to-96-hours-on-your-phone/
4 days for glass
3 days for stainless steel
3 days for plastic surfaces
A day and a half for plastered walls and countertops
Dunno about coins or dollar bills

[BComplex]

48. Thanks for that, MadLinguist...

I went looking for that info and couldn't find it!

[BComplex]

31. I just saw a thread around here somewhere that showed

how long the virus lives on different surfaces. If I can find it again, I'll link it for you.

[Happy Hoosier]

32. I almost never use cash.

Stuff like this is a big reason why.

[BComplex]

34. I almost always use credit cards

but my husband works in retail, and I'm really worried about him, since he has to handle money all the time. I gave him some latex-free gloves to wear, but it's not going to be much help even if he does use them.

[Grasswire2]

33. don't ever touch your face when out and about..

...and use a hand sanitizer every time you touch something someone else has touched.

[Iggo]

36. Keypads are a motherfucker.

And don’t get me started on touchscreens.

(Target self-checkout, I’m lookin’ at you.)

[BComplex]

40. I love those self-checkout places

The lines are usually much faster than waiting on the clerks lines.

[crickets]

55. I love self checkout but

make a point of using a knuckle on the touchscreen instead of my fingertip, and if a knuckle won't register properly, using my pinky or ring finger since I am less likely to touch my face with those. It looks funny, but I don't care. I try to remember to use my ring finger on keypads as well for the same reason but it's tough to change habits on that one.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

43. China Quarantines Cash to Sanitize Old Bank Notes From Virus

China Quarantines Cash to Sanitize Old Bank Notes From Virus
Bloomberg News
February 15, 2020

Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-15/china-quarantines-cash-to-sanitize-old-bank-notes-from-virus

(includes a good video: A Cell Biologist Explains How a Virus Mutates and Spreads)

(snip)

The new coronavirus has restricted millions of Chinese people to their homes and towns, and now old bank notes are being quarantined.

The government cut off the transfer and allocation of old bank notes across provinces, and between cities most affected by the deadly outbreak, according to Fan Yifei, People’s Bank of China’s deputy governor. The central bank also ramped up measures to sanitize old money to reduce contagion risks and added 600 billion yuan ($85.9 billion) of new cash for Hubei, the epicenter of the coronavirus, he said.

“Money from key virus-hit areas will be sanitized with ultraviolet rays or heated and locked up for at least 14 days, before it is distributed again,” Fan said at a press conference on Saturday. Money circulated in less riskier areas is subject to a week of quarantine and commercial lenders have been asked to separate cash from hospitals and food markets, he said.

KY...........

[BComplex]

49. Great information there, KY_EnviroGuy!!

I just knew intuitively that it had to be true, but I'm glad the scientists and Chinese government figured it out long before I did.

That's the kind of information that Americans need to have available to make informed choices.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

45. Where did the thing you're purchasing come from? Who sneezed on it?

What is the USPS or UPS or FedEx really delivering?
Community contact.

[pecosbob]

47. I work retail

I wear latex gloves AND use hand sanitizer when I work the register. Half the currency I take is wet or damp...damp with what? Urine, sweat and God knows what else, change that is literally stuck together. Before I started using gloves when I went home my fingertips would be stained yellow from the cash.

[BComplex]

50. Yipes, pecosbob!

That's some pretty nasty stuff. I'm going to read your post to my husband, in hopes that he'll use those gloves I gave him before he went off to work today.

[Blues Heron]

51. I think all the coke residue on it should kill any cooties

they don't call it filthy lucre for nothing!

[BComplex]

54. LOL!!

Well said, Blues Heron!

[Kathy M]

56. was just about to post along thes lines ...

" Research presented this weekend reinforced previous findings that 90 percent of paper money circulating in U.S. cities contains traces of cocaine. "

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/14/cocaine.traces.money/

I used to work in retail ... money dirty long time ..... I ended up with eczema rash on finger either from money or cart

I hope everyone washes hands after handling .

[oldsoftie]

53. The govt will surely use this point to try to lessen cash use. So they can track us MORE

Thats their end game; knowing our every move

[Hotler]

65. Ding ding ding ding we have a winner +1.... nt

[nilram]

57. Then we should see large numbers of cashiers coming down with it.

Don't think that's the case.

[BComplex]

58. Good point, nilram.

I wonder if that will happen as time goes on.

[roamer65]

60. Yes, cotton fiber paper money transmits viruses.

The polymer currency used in Australia, Canada and other countries can be washed.

I will soon be abandoning cash transactions. I plan on using a pen cap to touch keypads. I can then bleach it routinely.

[Demonaut]

64. and you grab your fries from the bag before you washed your hands

easy transmission