BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW-TV) — When the Covid-19 crisis began in mid-March, there was a run on toilet paper that created a shortage. That has since been rectified but a shortage of disinfecting sprays and wipes continues to frustrate shoppers and 7 Eyewitness News viewer Sarah D'Agostino who has been searching for Lysol disinfectant spray over several weeks. "You have to go physically from store-to-store to see if it is in stock - and I have never found it."
The Cheektowaga woman has a rare disorder called Dercum's Disease which covers her body with painful bumps. Germs and viruses can cause flareups of the disease. D'Agostino counts on Lysol to keep her home safe, especially when she has visitors. However, D'Agostino's supply is about to run out which has her worried and wondering why there is still a shortage three months after the coronavirus emergency began. "I could see at the beginning but I think by now they should have been able to get these things in stock."
D'Agostino said efforts to buy it online have been unsuccessful as it is listed as either "unavailable" or extremely expensive by price gougers looking to make money through Ebay. "The only way you can get it online is if someone is selling a bottle for $75."
A quick check of local stores found empty shelves for Lysol products at Tops, Wegmans and CVS.
Wegman issued the following statement:
"Lysol products, as well as other disinfectants, have been in high demand since the beginning of coronavirus. While we continue to get shipments of these products to our stores, we are on allocation from the manufacturer."
Lysol is distributed by Reckitt Benckiser in New Jersey. The company has a FAQ page where it talks about the shortage:
"Given the rapid spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the US, our top priority at this time is increasing our production to help curb the spread of illness. We are experiencing unprecedented and accelerated demand for our Lysol® products, and this demand is clearly having an impact on store inventory levels. Our teams are actively working around the clock to increase production and delivery to our retailers, with the goal to maximize access to our products.
As demand remains extraordinarily high, we recognize that it is difficult to locate products that you may be looking for. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding.
We have increased production during these unprecedented times and are doing everything we can to deliver as much products possible to our retailers. Stock of product on shelves will vary day by day and we advise you to ask your retailer when they will be receiving their next shipments. We ask that consumers purchase only what they need so that everyone can work together to stop the spread."
