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One woman from the Jiangsu province in China was reportedly so worried about catching the Covid-19 virus from bank notes that she tried to disinfect them on her own.

Charred notes

According to Chinese media, the woman, known only by her surname "Li", popped her money into the microwave thinking that this would kill any germs and viruses.

Less than a minute later, she noticed a burning smell coming from the microwave.

Li took the money out immediately, but realised that they had been burnt beyond recognition.

She reportedly burnt about 3,000 yuan (S$600) worth of notes.

She took the bank notes, which were mostly 100 yuan (S$20), to the bank.

Even though most of the notes had been badly burnt, the bank staff managed to exchange 3,125 yuan worth of notes for her.

Disinfecting cash

A representative from the bank told Chinese media that bank notes collected from financial institutions are "clean" because they have gone through a disinfection process using either ultraviolet light or high temperature.

The cash is then stowed away for one to two weeks before it is circulated.

Since February, CNN reported that China has been "deep cleaning" cash that may have come into contact with the virus.

This refers to cash from high-risk infection areas, such as hospitals.

Covid-19 can be transmitted via contaminated objects.

However, it remains unclear if cash has been a large factor contributing to the spread of the virus in China.

CNN reported that the virus likely dies after a few hours on surfaces, and much of China prefers cashless payment solutions anyway.

Top photo via Xinhua News.

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