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Coronavirus: you'll never believe what's really lurking on your money

Contaminated currency
Polymer vs paper cash
Most banknotes contain traces of cocaine
As many as 70% of banknotes could be tainted with heroin
Crystal meth has destroyed thousands of euro banknotes
Currency can spread serious disease
One in seven English banknotes contain faecal matter
Romanian banknotes have the highest prevalence of dangerous pathogens
Most dollar bills are teeming with bacteria
US dollar bills harbor up to 3,000 types of bacteria
The five dollar bill is the dirtiest US note and the £20 note is the UK's filthiest
The average European banknote is home to 26,000 colonies of bacteria
US dollar bills may harbor virulent food poisoning germs
The flu virus can survive on a banknote for up to 17 days
...But can coronavirus survive on banknotes?
Banknotes can provide a cozy home for the winter vomiting virus
MRSA can survive for days on US and Canadian dollar bills
Traces of anthrax have been discovered on US dollar bills
Banknotes can harbor and spread hepatitis-C
The ebola virus can survive on a banknote for up to 30 days
But banknotes and coins cannot transmit HIV
Moldy notes and coins may pose a health risk for some people
Coins are more hygienic than banknotes
Coins contain fewer bacteria than banknotes
Coins can still carry dangerous pathogens
There are more germs on a £1 coin than a toilet seat
You can reduce your risk of illness by simply washing your hands
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Viacheslav Lopatin/Shutterstock

Contaminated currency

You won't believe some of the nasty substances that have been discovered on our banknotes and coins. As some businesses turn to cashless payments to minimise the risk of infection during the coronavirus pandemic we take a look at what can linger on cash, from cocaine to diseases. Click or scroll through to find out about the dirt on your cash.
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lovemoney staff

26 May 2020

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