WHO: Data Suggests Possible `Sustained Transmission' Of nCoV2019

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Less than 72  hours ago the official take from the Chinese government was that there was `no clear evidence' of human-to-human transmission of the 2019-nCoV pneumonia which first appeared in Wuhan City, Hubbei Province in December.

Then, 48 hours ago, in 2019-nCoV: `Evidence of Limited Human-to-Human Transmission' - WHO WPRO, we saw that appraisal upgraded by the WHO. 

Given what has been learned over the whirlwind of the past 48 hours ago, it isn't terribly surprising that officials at the World Health Organization are now considering the possibility of `sustained human-to-human transmission', which is a phrase nobody wants to hear when discussing any novel virus.  From tweet #3 of 4.

In addition, info about newly reported #nCoV2019 infections suggests there may now be sustained human-to-human transmission. But more information and analysis are needed on this new virus to understand the full extent of human-to-human transmission and other important details.

While this has yet to be confirmed, it is worth noting that this is a line that MERS-CoV has not crossed, nor have any of the novel flu viruses we follow (H7N9, H5N1, etc.).   This does not, however, tell us how efficient this transmission might be, and that could make a huge difference in how this outbreak plays out from here. 

In a tweet stream posted around midnight (East Coast time), the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office summarized the major events of the past 24 hours and suggested the possibility of sustained transmission.

There is still much left to be learned, including the (likely intermediate) animal host of this virus, its true incidence (and virulence) in the human population, and how stable this virus may be.  All of which means we are at the start of a marathon, not at the end of sprint.