More than £100m spent on coronavirus consultants in UK
Image by Anastasia Gepp from Pixabay
The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc around the world and brought industries to a standstill. As governments scrambled to implement pandemic response plans and health services strained to cope under the pressure, businesses looked for ways to overcome the operational challenges they were facing.
Unsurprisingly, business owners, government officials and workers looked to doctors, researchers and scientists for the answers. While a vaccine is yet to be found, the scientific community has worked tirelessly to learn more about the virus in order to protect the population.
Now that businesses, workplaces, schools and universities are set to re-open their doors, they’re continuing to seek advice. However, a new profession of ‘coronavirus consultants’ appears to have developed in response to the need for reassurance.
What are coronavirus consultants?
Coronavirus consultants are self-styled ‘experts’ who offer a range of advice regarding responses to COVID-19. While some consultants may have professional experience in the medical and/or scientific industries, others may be PR professionals who are adept at coping with crisis management or marketing executives who specialise in building trust between brands and their target market.
While the role of coronavirus consultants may be new and undefined, this hasn’t stopped it from becoming a lucrative market. To date, more than £100 million has been spent on coronavirus consultants in the UK alone. With lockdown restrictions being relaxed and schools reopening for the new term, concern regarding a second wave of COVID-19 is likely to result in even more being spent on coronavirus consultants in coming months.
What do coronavirus consultants actually do?
The role of a coronavirus consultant depends on their credentials, professional experience and the needs of their clients. Some consultants may focus on overcoming logistical challenges caused by COVID-19 and enabling businesses to modify their supply chains, for example. Alternatively, consultants may advise businesses on how to reassure instore customers by making hand sanitiser easily available and introducing contactless transactions. Others may work with schools to develop workable social distancing plans in busy environments.
In addition to this, coronavirus consultants may help businesses to understand the latest government guidelines and implement them safely. With many firms concerned about minimising their liability, a significant proportion of companies will be looking for further clarity regarding new regulations.
Should businesses seek advice from coronavirus consultants?
Whether or not businesses choose to appoint a coronavirus consultant is up to them. There’s no doubt that companies will have been seeking advice and assistance from brand managers, crisis interventionists and financial advisers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and a coronavirus consultant may simply be a step towards commercial recovery.
For organisations that operate in high-risk environments or situations, the need for a dedicated coronavirus consultant may be more critical. Hospitals and doctor’s surgeries need to protect patients and staff, for example, so appointing staff to implement social distancing measures and safety protocols is a legitimate and sensible approach.
Of course, where there is demand, there will inevitably by supply, so expect to see more self-appointed COVID-19 consultants popping up. While the worst of the pandemic is hopefully in the past, it appears that the widespread use of coronavirus consultants will be a lucrative part of our ‘new normal’.
