A bitter argument broke out on a Sydney train after a man accused another commuter of deliberately coughing on him amid growing concerns over the spread of coronavirus .

A video capturing the fight shows the man and woman sitting opposite each other when the man reminds the woman to cover her mouth, calling her "disgusting".

"I did not open my mouth when I coughed, it was inside my mouth," she said.

Woman coughs on commuter sparking bitter argument amid coronavirus fears. (Twitter)

The woman then coughs in the direction of the man, sparking an even more aggressive dispute.

"Are you serious? Did you just cough at me?" he said.

After a heated exchange, the woman tells the man to "shut up".

Following the video being widely shared on various internet sites, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, asked people to treat others with respect.

"This is not a situation for overreaction. It's not a situation for being rude, or offensive to people who you come into contact with in public transport, or otherwise," he said.

"Australia does it best when people actually remember the motto of mateship. We're all in this together. We're doing pretty well," he said.

Hand hygiene has been emphasised as one of the most effective methods to prevent infection. (AP/AAP)

"But just be polite and be courteous and careful, particularly if you have a cough or a cold. It probably isn't COVID-19."

NSW currently has the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 rising to 41 today after three high school students tested positive .