Coronavirus dread: Woman 'bakes' bank notes to disinfect them

Over the fears of coronavirus epidemic, a Chinese woman reportedly burnt more than 3,000 yuan in a microwave oven to keep herself safe. According to international media reports, the woman named Aunt Li from Jiangyin city in Wuxi province was worried that the banknotes she had were contaminated by the coronavirus and, therefore, she thought of disinfecting the notes herself. The virus has already spread across more than 70 countries and infected more than 94,000 people. 

While speaking to the media outlet, Li reportedly said that she even smelled something burning in less than a minute of putting the notes inside the microwave oven. She then quickly took out the cash from the microwave, however, it was too late as they had already charred black and some were even damaged so much that they crumbled on touching. She further added that she later went to several banks hoping that she would be able to exchange the burnt notes with the new ones. 

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As per reports, while some banks asked her to show proof of the fire, one of the banks agreed to help her and later she was able to recover some amount and did not incur huge losses. Last month, China also disinfected and isolated used banknotes to stop the spread of the deadly virus. The notes were reportedly sealed and stored for seven to 14 days and the bank's even used ultraviolet light or high temperature to disinfect the notes. 

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Death toll worldwide mounts to 3,221

As per reports, the total number of confirmed cases within China has reportedly hit 80,282 and more than 94,000 worldwide. According to reports, the death toll in China has also surpassed 2,900 and the National Health Commission also confirmed more than 119 new cases. The death toll due to the deadly virus across the world also mounted to 3,221. 

Though there is no vaccine as of yet, in the latest report released, the WHO stressed that “oxygen therapy is a major treatment intervention for people with severe COVID-19”. The report added that all countries should work to optimize the availability of “pulse oximeters” and “medical oxygen systems”. 

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