Washing your hands after using cash can help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns and precautions have amped up in the last few weeks as the virus makes its way across the globe, with more than 500 cases in the United States. More and more is being learned each day about the virus, how it spreads, and what we can do to help prevent ourselves from getting it.

One area that has gotten some attention is the issue of the virus being spread through contact with money. On Friday, March 6, the central bank in South Korea announced it planned to take all banknotes out of circulation for two weeks to help control the spread of the virus, some banknotes will be burned. The Louvre in France has banned cash, and China has undergone a substantial effort to deep clean possibly infected cash circulating the country using ultraviolet and heat treatments. China has also been using mobile payments to avoid unnecessary human contact as the viral outbreak the grows.

In the United States, the Federal Reserve has begun to hold some of the cash it gets from Asia for seven to 10 days as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. This policy started on February 21, according to a Fed spokesperson.

The fact that money spreads germs is not new information. Research has told us that money is covered in pathogens; New York University’s Dirty Money Project (2014) identified over 3,000 types of bacteria and microorganisms on paper money—including harmless bacteria, but also Staphylococcus, MRSA, viruses, fecal matter, drug residue, fungi, acne-causing microorganisms, bodily fluids, microbes from mouths, pet DNA, and more. Bills stay in circulation for around 15 years, so that’s a lot of time to gather up and spread around germs.

The issue, however, doesn’t come from germs on paper bills necessarily penetrating the skin. In many cases, including the coronavirus, the issue comes from having the virus or bacteria on your skin, not washing hands and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose. The coronavirus spreads primarily through coughing and sneezing, while other viruses typically "survive on hard surfaces like coins" states USA Today, for days at times.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) was asked about the possibility of the virus being spread through currency. Though the agency has not issued coronavirus-specific guidelines for handling currency, they did mention that it's possible and a valid concern, and that washing hands after touching money is always a good practice, especially if eating or handling any food.

"We know that money changes hands frequently and can pick up all sorts of bacteria and viruses and things like that," a WHO representative told The Telegraph. "We would advise people to wash their hands after handling banknotes and avoid touching their face."

Again, there was no official warning or statement from the WHO about not using cash, but they did restate that hand-washing is one of the best preventative ways to help keep yourself healthy.

The Center for Disease Control points out that hand-washing helps prevent illnesses and the spread of infection to others by removing germs from hands, thus preventing the spread of diseases. Germs from unwashed hands can get into food and drinks, pass from hands to our eyes, nose, and mouth, and be transferred to other objects—including cash. So again, we are reminded that money and many other objects we interact with throughout our days are literally filthy, and we need to be aware of that and take precautions.

You can check out our article about hand-washing and the coronavirus, Hand-Washing and the Coronavirus: What You Need to Know, for more information. And remember, clean hands save lives!

Did you realize money was as dirty and full of germs? Let us know what you think, and share any alternatives to cash you know of in the comments.