Fox News host slapped down after claiming Chinese people infected themselves by 'eating raw bats and snakes'

On Monday's edition of Fox News' "The Five," Jesse Watters stunned even his co-hosts by suggesting that coronavirus was caused by Chinese people "eating raw bats and snakes" and demanding that the government of China issue a formal apology to the world for their citizens' behavior.

“Let me tell you why it happened in China. They have these markets where they were eating raw bats and snakes,” said Watters. “They are very hungry people. The Chinese communist government cannot feed the people. And they are desperate, this food is uncooked, it is unsafe. And that is why scientists believe that’s where it originated from.”

“No, Jesse,” said co-host Dana Perino pleaded. Other hosts laughed nervously and buried their heads in their hands.

Coronavirus did likely originate from bats, but rumors that Chinese people infected themselves with tainted "bat soup" are broadly doubted by experts. It is unclear exactly how the first transmission occurred, because the "wet market" where it is thought to have originated has been disinfected by the authorities. However, the vast majority of these cases have been confirmed to be person to person contact.

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