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China is disinfecting and destroying cash to contain the coronavirus

2020-02-17T14:50:43.001Z


While China is taking steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, this does not mean that the cash is really dangerous to our health. Disease transmission relates ...


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China publishes number of doctors affected 1:46

(CNN Business) - While the new coronavirus outbreak continues to affect China, the country's central bank has implemented a new strategy to contain the virus: deep cleaning and destruction of potentially infected cash.

The new measures, announced by the People's Bank of China on Saturday, aim to contain the spread of the virus, officially known as Covid-19. Much is still unknown about the virus, which has infected more than 71,000 people worldwide has so far killed some 1,775 people, mostly in China; The virus, it seems, survives for at least several hours on the surface, according to the World Health Organization.

They ask that they attend to people with coronavirus in Wuhan 4:23

This is the reason why buildings in the affected areas regularly disinfect elevator buttons, door handles and other commonly touched surfaces, and why people are worried about cash, which changes hands several times. times a day.

All Chinese banks must now literally wash their cash, disinfect it with ultraviolet light and high temperatures, then store it for seven to 14 days before delivering it to customers, the Chinese central government said in a press release on Saturday.

A medical worker rests in a Wuhan Red Cross hospital on February 16, 2020, in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak that claimed the lives of more than 1,700 people, primarily China. (STR / AFP via Getty Images)

Cash that comes from high-risk areas of infection, such as hospitals and wet markets, will be "specially treated" and sent back to the central bank instead of being recirculated.

And at the Guangzhou branch of the central bank, these high-risk bills can be destroyed instead of simply disinfected, according to the state tabloid Global Times.

To offset the supply, the bank will issue large amounts of new uninfected cash; In January, the bank allocated 4 billion yuan (about 573.5 million dollars) in new bills to Wuhan, the Chinese city where the outbreak began, the government press release said.

Other measures include suspending physical cash transfers between the most affected provinces, to limit the possibility of virus transmission during the transit of cash.

It is not clear how “infected” the cash can actually be in China: the virus probably dies after a few hours on the surface, especially if it was removed with a disinfectant. And most people in urban centers don't use cash anyway: mobile payment applications are almost ubiquitous.

How do you get the coronavirus? 1:54

But as previous studies have found, money can be incredibly dirty. Each dollar, passed from person to person, shows a little of the environment from which it comes and passes that contamination to the next person.

The list of things found on US dollar bills includes our pets' DNA, traces of drugs, bacteria and viruses, according to a 2017 study in New York.

That does not mean that cash is really dangerous to our health; Transmission of money-related diseases is rare, and no major disease outbreaks have been initiated from ATMs. But with the new cases reported every day in China, the country's officials are not at risk.

The new measures indicate "the total support of the financial system to fight the virus and resume production," the government press release said.

China struggles to contain the coronavirus

Since the outbreak in Wuhan began in December, the virus has spread to 28 countries and territories, causing travel restrictions and emergency measures worldwide.

But mainland China remains the most affected. Of the 1,775 coronavirus deaths worldwide, only five occurred outside of mainland China. And of the 71,319 cases worldwide, 70,548 are in mainland China.

To limit the spread of the virus, the Chinese authorities have implemented a number of other drastic measures, including the total or partial blockade of 60 million people. People are not only afraid of touching money: simply by going outside they run the risk of infection; Many have stayed at home in recent weeks and have only ventured to buy groceries. Even when they leave, they are wrapped in protective plastic; Travelers at a Beijing train station this week were seen wearing disposable plastic gloves, shower caps, full-face plastic visors and even full-body plastic ponchos.

A traveler at the train station in southern Beijing, fully covered, on February 15, 2020.

The blockades and business detention have also affected the Chinese economy, with some warning that the outbreak could cost China $ 62 billion in growth loss. Experts warn that if companies close completely, unable to survive prolonged suspensions, it could lead to massive layoffs, unemployment and foreclosures.

And so, millions of people are starting to resume work, in the security of their apartments, in what could be the biggest work experiment from home in the world.

Meanwhile, Chinese and international experts continue to work together to learn more about the virus and contain its spread. On Sunday, a team of international and WHO experts arrived in Beijing for a joint mission with their Chinese counterparts, to analyze data and determine the next steps for China and the world.

coronavirus

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-02-17

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