McCartney to Howard Stern: Close Chinese Wet Markets

Paul McCartney is slamming Chinese "wet markets" as "medieval" while blaming them for the spread of coronavirus, and said they should be banned.

"I really hope that this will mean the Chinese government says 'OK guys, we have really got to get super hygienic around here,'" the legendary rock star told radio talk show host Howard Stern, The Guardian reported.

Such markets feature fresh meat and produce, and sometimes live animals. The theory the novel coronavirus originated in a live market in Wuhan, the epicenter of the current outbreak, and came from either bat or pangolin meat has not been confirmed.

But McCartney pointed out other diseases have been linked to such markets, including SARS, avian flu, and more "and what's it for? For these quite medieval practices. They need to clean up their act. This may lead to (change). If this doesn't, I don't know what will."

McCartney has been an animal rights activist and vegetarian for most of his life, and complained to Stern the "obscenity of some of the stuff" that happens in them and what happens means "they might as well be letting off atomic bombs."

He even dismissed claims such markets are something people have "done forever," adding, "they did slavery forever, too. You've got to change things at some point."

McCartney is in self-isolation in Sussex with daughter Mary and her family, while his wife Nancy Shevell is in New York. He said the current crisis is "scary."

"I'm from the generation that had just come out of World War II," he told Stern. "My mum and dad were in World War II, and the spirit that they showed was: 'We'll get on with it; we'll do whatever’s necessary; we'll pull together, and try to stay happy.'

"That spirit is kind of what they needed, and is what we need now."

• US Diplomats Warned in 2018 of Wuhan Bat Lab Virus Danger
• Asia Today: China Wet Markets Panned, India Extends Lockdown