The coronavirus story took a turn last week when a government spokesman in Beijing told journalists to stop reporting that the virus originated in China.
Ever since the first case was reported last year in the city of Wuhan, the origin of this outbreak has not been a point of contention, not even in China's state media - until now.
Why the change of tack? It comes down to the numbers. More than 100 countries are affected. The number of cases continues to climb, so does the death toll.
