Corona Daily 496: Dirty Money

Eating is necessary, shopping is a must to eat, and touching money usually necessary for shopping.

Banks in China and South Korea now use ultraviolet light to disinfect and sterilize banknotes, then seal them for 14 days before sending them back in circulation.

In places like Bombay, a banknote may be handled by hundreds or thousands before it reaches your hands. Banknotes and coins are ideal vehicles for Corona Virus.

Based on my research, and my own shopping experience, here is a guide to save ourselves from dirty money.

·       Contactless cards are of course the best, but not every country and not every shopper may have one. Smartphone transactions or cards with a pin are the next best option, but a street vendor may not be able to have access to one.

·       Before leaving the house for grocery shopping, arrange your money in denominations 10/20/50/100 and so on. Then wash your hands with soap. Try to give the exact amount where possible, to avoid getting any change.

·       If you know the seller well, and are a regular customer, ask him for his bank details, and transfer the money online. If he is not sophisticated, ask him to keep an account. Give him an advance for a week, or two weeks. That is a way to minimize transactions.

·       In countries like India, where coins are unimportant, refuse to take them. For example, if the seller wishes to give you a ten rupee coin, demand a ten rupee note instead.

Despite these precautions, it is safe to assume that the money you have handled is unsafe. The notes may have transmitted the virus to your hands. That by itself is not a problem.

The key is not to touch your face until the next hand wash. It’s curious how when we are told not to touch our face, we desperately want to rub our eyes, scratch our nose, adjust make-up, twirl our moustache, be polite and stifle a yawn with the hand. Covering the face with a mask or handkerchief may help. This is a lesser discussed benefit of a mask. Gloves don’t help, because if you touch your face with the gloved hand, the risk is the same.

Once shopping is over, wash hands and rub them with soap vigorously. For how long? In times of SARS, we were advised to finish the happy birthday song. For Corona, you should keep washing them until you complete singing your national anthem.

Ravi