DIRTY banknotes may be spreading coronavirus, experts are warning.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) are instead urging people to use contactless payments in a bid to “reduce the risk of transmission”.
Read our coronavirus live blog for all the latest news and updates
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It comes as Covid-19 continues to sweep across Europe – with the toll for people with the illness in the UK rising to 51 today.
WHO say customers should wash their hands after touching banknotes as coronavirus could cling onto currency in the same way it lives on surfaces like doorknobs, handrails and toilet handles.
And the fact that notes change hands hundreds of times during circulation means they pick up all manner of dirt and bugs as they’re passed around.
A World Health Organization spokesperson told The Telegraph: “We know that money changes hands frequently and can pick up all sorts of bacteria and viruses.
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“We would advise people to wash their hands after handling banknotes, and avoid touching their face.
“When possible it would also be advisable to use contactless payments to reduce the risk of transmission.”
The Bank of England also acknowledged that banknotes “can carry bacteria or viruses” and urged people to wash their hands regularly.
The public has also been urged to clean their smartphone screens twice a day with alcohol wipes to help combat the spread.
So it may be advisable to also wipe down bank cards to kill germs collected on them.
It comes after both China and Korea last month began disinfecting and isolating used banknotes as part of efforts to stop the spread of the disease.
Officials used ultraviolet light or high temperatures to sterilise the bills, only putting them back into circulation after they had been sealed and stored for up to 14 days.
What to do if you’re worried you’ve got coronavirus
The new coronavirus is continuing to sweep its way across the globe with Britain seeing more cases in people who aren’t linked to outbreaks overseas.
Symptoms of Covid-19 can include:
- a cough
- a high temperature
- difficulty breathing
In most cases, you won’t know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus.
But if a coronavirus infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract, it can cause pneumonia, especially in older people, people with heart disease or people with weakened immune systems.
It is incredibly contagious and is spread through contact with anything the virus is on as well as infected breath, coughs or sneezes.
The best way to prevent catching any form of coronavirus is to practice good hygiene.
If you have cold-like symptoms, you can help protect others by staying home when you are sick and avoiding contact with others.
You should also cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough and sneeze then throw it away and wash your hands.
Cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces which you may have touched is also important.
Meanwhile, leading symptom-checking provider to the NHS Doctorlink has been updated to help identify patients’ risk of having coronavirus.
Source: NHS
A study of 22 earlier studies of similar coronaviruses, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, revealed that human coronaviruses can remain infectious on inanimate surfaces for up to nine days at room temperature.
Despite this, the experts said they can quickly be rendered inactive using common disinfectants, and may also disappear at higher temperatures.
It is not yet clear, however, whether the new coronavirus behaves in a similar way.
Meanwhile, the UK’s battle plan to tackle coronavirus is due to be revealed as the country prepares for the illness to spread more widely in the days and weeks ahead.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to set out the Government’s plan, vowing that officials are “ready to take necessary steps” to contain coronavirus and protect the vulnerable.
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The plan, to be launched at Downing Street on Tuesday, is expected to include a “war room” to bring together communications experts and scientists from across Government and the NHS to roll out a public information campaign.
Other measures could see people discouraged from unnecessary travel, workers urged to stay at home, and retired doctors and nurses asked to return to work to help deal with patients.
It is understood that potential plans could include getting volunteers into public services to help out with things like delivering food to hospital patients.
Other measures could include cancelling events, and giving Border Force officials powers to act if they spot people with the virus.
Legislation allowing the Government to use extra powers to help control Covid-19 is expected to go through Parliament by the end of the month.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday that the number of home ventilation kits is being expanded.
On whether the NHS would be able to cope if the virus reaches pandemic level, he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “A lot of people, not least because it is mild, will be best off at home than in hospital, so we are expanding the number of home ventilation kits that are available so that can be done.
“The NHS, of course, has a full plan for this and prepares for this even when there isn’t an outbreak.”
