China's National Health Commission (NHC) has advised people to be cautious of aerosol or contact transmission of novel coronavirus via feces and urine of infected people. The advisory came in the seventh edition of the diagnosis and treatment plan issued by the commission on Wednesday.

The document reiterates that respiratory droplets and close contact remain to be the main transmission routes of the virus, but aerosol transmission is also possible in case of long exposure to high concentrations of aerosols in a relatively closed environment. Therefore, attention should also be paid to aerosol transmission from the excreta.

According to the document, autopsy results and histopathological findings from biopsies have shown pathologic changes in spleen, hilar lymph nodes, bone marrow, heart, blood vessels and other organs besides lungs, which can lead to reduction in spleen size, myocardial necrosis and so on.

Moreover, the latest edition of the plan also covers clinical manifestations of the virus in maternity patients and children. Per the document, the clinical process of maternity patients is similar to that of regular patients of the same age. As for children and newborns, the document indicates the presence of atypical symptoms in some cases, such as vomiting and diarrhea, while others only exhibited lethargy and shortness of breath.