DISINFECTION services, once a booming business in the earlier part of the pandemic, are now no longer in demand, as Covid-19 becomes more endemic and movement restrictions are relaxed.

Companies and individuals who ventured into the disinfection business said clients – mostly offices and business premises, but some residential units, too – no longer request such services as frequently as before.

Gaia Science Sdn Bhd managing director Steven Suresh said he has stopped providing disinfection services to commercial and residential areas after a drop in demand.

“I have stopped providing such services for some time now. I think since November last year,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

“It came to a point where we stopped receiving any enquiry. People also started disinfecting by themselves.”

He said there are now Do-It-Yourself options for disinfecting a room or surface, such as mini disinfection machines and sanitiser spray guns.

But proper disinfection services can provide “specialised solutions”, he added.

Disinfection is important to reduce the risk of Covid-19 contamination and spread, though health experts debated the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s move to disinfect roads and public areas.

Suresh said people have accepted that they must live with the coronavirus.

He still does disinfection services, but limits them to specialised laboratories.

The chemical solutions used in such services are not cheap, as such, the cost of the services are also pricey.

This may also be a reason why the public no longer request for professional disinfection services, he added.

“Since we are specialised in what we do, our services are not cheap.

“The solutions we use are expensive and the mass market may not be able to afford them.

“So we currently focus on special laboratories.”

His company has been providing decontamination and disinfection services for 13 years.

Mohd Shamimi, who operates Syam Smart Trading, said there has been a more than 50% dip in disinfection demand since the start of the year

He said his only customers are those who are contracted to him.

“The number of new customers taking up such services dropped a lot since the start of the year, and more so now after the government relaxed restrictions.

“But I still have customers who purchased my services in bulk. So, I am still servicing these contracts. Other than that, business is slow.”

Shamami began his business in 2020, after the pandemic hit Malaysian shores. He provides his services nationwide, including in Sabah and Sarawak. He uses agents to meet customer demand in other states.

Demand was very high at the time and days off were a rare occasion, he added.

“When I started the business in June 2020, I had to disinfect three or four offices and about four houses daily.

“But now, it is only about five offices and four houses a month.”

Darren Ng, a disinfection service provider from Johor, said business is not what it used to be during the peak of the pandemic.

Demand has plunged by almost 90%, he added.

“People do not see the need of such services now that daily Covid-19 cases are below 3,000.

“When daily cases were above 10,000, people were desperate for such services and our daily schedule was very tight.”

Ng is mulling over continuing his service only upon request.

“It no longer generates much income. Since I already have the equipment, I can do this only on a part-time basis as demand is no longer there.

Demand for other items deemed essential during the peak of the pandemic like face masks and shields, sanitizers, gloves and personal protective equipment is also decreasing. – May 22, 2022.