BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Excessive disinfection should be avoided in China's ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic, as the effect of disinfection should be prioritized, a health expert said here Monday.

File photo: CGTN

Zhang Liubo, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, made the remarks at a press conference, saying that methods of large-scale disinfection such as spraying disinfector with mist cannon trucks and drones are overdone.

A series of guidelines on disinfection techniques have been published amid enhanced popularization of knowledge on disinfection among the public, he continued, citing a circular on the disinfection during the outbreak of COVID-19, which was released Saturday by a working group of the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council.

The circular listed a number of conditions where disinfection should be limited, such as no large-scale disinfection outdoors, no outdoor disinfection in rains or snows and no air disinfection outdoors.

It also warned against spraying disinfector against persons, putting disinfector in ponds, reservoirs or artificial lakes, as well as indoor air disinfection in the presence of someone else.