Finally, a broadcast network made China the target of their scorn when it came to the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Shockingly, CBS Evening News, via correspondent Ramy Inocencio, shared with viewers a scathing takedown of the origin of the outbreak: China and their infamous and disgusting wet markets. Beyond explaining why such markets were a spawning ground for disease, the Thursday segment relied heavily on graphic images to get the message across.
Anchor Norah O’Donnell was clearly peeved by the continued existence of wet markets during her opening tease. “Preventing the next outbreak: Inside the effort to close those markets for exotic animals, where the deadly virus was first spread. Why are they still in business,” she rhetorically asked.
And when they got to the segment, she noted that health officials believed the Chinese Coronavirus originated in the Wuhan, China wet market. “In fact, researchers tell us 70 percent of emerging infectious diseases in humans are transmitted from animals,” she added. “Dr. Anthony Fauci is leading worldwide calls to shut down markets like the one in China to prevent the next epidemic.”
Inocencio began the video portion of his report by telling viewers that what they were witnessing were images captured at the Wuhan market before it was shut down. The images included what appeared to be skinned mice, caged beavers and dogs, as well as butchered dogs. “[A]ll being sold for human consumption,” as he put it.
He also recalled that scientists believed the virus came from bats sold at the market. “That's because a coronavirus found in bats shares 96 percent of its genetic sequence with COVID-19. Scientists believe bats spread it to other animals in the market, which spread it to humans. But similar markets around the world remain open, and that's a grave concern,” he said.
Epidemiologist Ian Lipkin told CBS that wet markets acted as a fast track for deadly diseases to make it into the human population:
IAN LIPKIN: I want the wild animal markets closed.
INOCENCIO: Infectious disease expert Ian Lipkin:
LIPKIN: If you take wild animals and put them into a market with domestic animals, where there's an opportunity for some virus to jump species, you are creating a superhighway for viruses to go from the wild into people.
“China has pledged to clamp down on wet markets before with little results. But other countries have not,” Inocencio lamented.
While CBS did explain why wet markets were such a dangerous vector for the transition of illnesses, the images did most of the heavy lifting.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
April 9, 2020
6:44:37 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: Health officials believe COVID-19 originated in animals sold in a so-called wet market in China. In fact, researchers tell us 70 percent of emerging infectious diseases in humans are transmitted from animals. Dr. Anthony Fauci is leading worldwide calls to shut down markets like the one in China to prevent the next epidemic. So, we decided to take a closer look tonight, and here's Ramy Inocencio.
[Cuts to video]
RAMY INOCENCIO: These images provided by a Wuhan resident show the infamous market before it was shut down. Stacks of caged animals from marmots to muntjacs, to snakes and even porcupines, all being sold for human consumption. This is the market now. Abandoned, as it was in January, when CBS News was first on the ground in Wuhan to report on the outbreak.
The World Health Organization says an animal is probably the source of this new virus.
That's because a coronavirus found in bats shares 96 percent of its genetic sequence with COVID-19. Scientists believe bats spread it to other animals in the market, which spread it to humans. But similar markets around the world remain open, and that's a grave concern.
IAN LIPKIN: I want the wild animal markets closed.
INOCENCIO: Infectious disease expert Ian Lipkin:
LIPKIN: If you take wild animals and put them into a market with domestic animals, where there's an opportunity for some virus to jump species, you are creating a superhighway for viruses to go from the wild into people.
INOCENCIO: China has pledged to clamp down on wet markets before with little results. But other countries have not.
DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM: We have a world where we're trying to feed almost eight billion people, and so the markets of Asia have become an important way to feed that part of the world's population. We do need to change that.
INOCENCIO: Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, Tokyo.
