Fireflighters conduct disinfection to implement environmental health and epidemic prevention requirements at a farm produce market in Hubei Province, June 18, 2020.Photo:China News Service

The disinfectant used to kill novel coronavirus in low temperatures and freezing environments will be available soon in China, and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will completely disclose the formula and usage methods to the public free of charge, Zhang Liubo, CDC chief expert on disinfection said on Thursday.

Disinfection in low temperatures and freezing environments has become a new challenge in the combat of COVID-19, as low temperatures significantly reduce the effectiveness of disinfectants and sometimes even make common approaches completely futile, according to Zhang.

He revealed in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) on Thursday that the Chinese CDC had begun developing effective disinfectant since the June Xinfadi outbreak in Beijing, and they are close to seeing results.

Concerns over coronavirus transmission via cold-chain products and international freight by air, land and sea continue to grow as winter comes. Many Chinese cities have detected the coronavirus on the outer packaging of imported cold-chain products, and some reported confirmed cases transmitted via containers from overseas.

"We have been doing research for more than five months, and we must strive to solve this problem as soon as possible," Zhang said.

Chinese disinfectant producers have seen orders growing since the COVID-19 pandemic began and have welcomed order spurs from overseas as the pandemic keeps spreading globally. Orders from the US, a key importer of China's disinfectant products, soared by about 50 percent in the past month as the US has experienced a resurgence in cases as winter approaches.