A HIGH-LEVEL expert team of the National Health Commission on Monday confirmed people-to-people transmission of a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and infections among medical staff.

Zhong Nanshan, a renowned respiratory expert and head of the team, said two cases in Guangdong Province were confirmed to be people-to-people transmission.

“The patients got infected after their family members traveled to Wuhan and were infected by the virus,” Zhong said during a media interview.

The novel coronavirus infection was first reported in Wuhan, capital of Central China’s Hubei Province.

He also confirmed infections among medical staff.

Fifteen medical workers in Wuhan have been diagnosed with pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, plus one suspected case, Wuhan’s health commission reported early yesterday morning.

One of the 16 patients is in critical condition while the rest are in stable condition.

All of them are being treated in isolation, the commission said.

Zhong said the geographical distribution of Wuhan’s infection cases indicated a close relationship between the epidemic and a local seafood market.

Zhong also predicted an increase of viral pneumonia cases during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

But he expressed confidence in curbing the virus’ spread, saying the SARS epidemic in 2003 will not be repeated.

“It took just two weeks to identify the novel coronavirus,” Zhong said.

He noted that with well-rounded monitoring and quarantine systems, China will not suffer a social and economic impact as serious as 17 years ago.

However, the number of cases of the new virus is expected to continue rising during the Spring Festival holiday, which starts Friday, due to the large number of people traveling nationwide, which will make the disease spread more easily, he said.

Zhong said to prevent the spread of disease, it is important that the authorities in Wuhan take strict measures to identify suspected cases and advise people with a high body temperature, which is a major symptom of the disease, not to leave the city.

He said early discovery, diagnosis, treatment and quarantine remain the most effective methods to bring the outbreak under control.

Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and a member of the expert team, said the outbreak of the new coronavirus can be reversed if measures are taken now.

He said the constant emergence of new cases at present indicats that the epidemic is still at its early stage.

Zeng said China has shared information about the virus with the World Health Organization since the outset, which has also helped other countries in identifying the virus.

China vows to take preventive and control measures of category-A infectious diseases to effectively fight against the pneumonia, according to the National Health Commission. The pneumonia has been classified as a category-B infectious diseases and a quarantinable disease at the border. Guangdong has intensified inspection on open fairs and monitoring and testing of suspected cases.

The health authorities said yesterday that 291 confirmed cases of new coronavirus-related pneumonia and 54 suspected cases had been reported in the country by the end of Monday.The National Health Commission (NHC) said 77 new confirmed cases were reported Monday. Among them, 72 were reported in Hubei Province, two in Shanghai and three in Beijing.

Altogether 27 new suspected cases were reported in nine provincial-level regions Monday, the commission said.

A total of 1,739 close contacts have been traced, according to the commission. Among them, 922 are under medical observation while 817 others have been discharged.

Overseas, one case has been confirmed in Japan, two in Thailand and one in the Republic of Korea. (Xinhua)