Pandemic research, surveillance, mitigation, and management is cross-disciplinary. It involves the expertise of various scientists and other professionals, including virologists, epidemiologists, medical professionals, disaster response experts, mathematicians, public health practitioners, engineers, and supply chain experts. In light of recent events, there are also coronavirus experts and, in particular, COVID-19 experts who have had to rapidly apply and augment their skillsets in response to the December 2019 outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Pandemic experts can consult on various aspects depending on their skills and experience:

• Developing and implementing public health strategies to reduce the risk of transmission and pandemic spread

• Recommending the appropriate diagnostic tests and treatments for affected patients

• Clinical management and treatment of patients with infectious disease

• Sourcing and distribution of healthcare equipment, PPE, and essential consumer items 

• Rapidly implementing diagnostic testing to monitor and curtail pandemic spread

• Consulting on methods and strategies for contact tracing and case isolation

• Developing mathematical models to predict pandemic spread and impact 

• Participating in public education on symptoms and prevention measures

• Researching how the pandemic is spread, what the risk factors are, and which treatments are most effective

• Studying pathogen genomes to map the likely origin of the pandemic and subsequent superspreader events 

• Developing and testing new/repurposed drugs and vaccines to fight the pandemic

• Developing diagnostic kits to specifically detect the pandemic pathogen or other markers of disease

• Formulating disinfecting agents to reduce the risk of disease transmission 

• Disaster response to manage and mitigate the impact of pandemics at various levels in addition to that on the healthcare system

• Repurposing of manufacturing plants for the design and production of essential medical equipment such as face shields, face masks, respirators, and ventilators to assist with the shortages faced during pandemics 

• Online research and writing of pandemic-related content and reports, fact-checking, performing in-depth literature reviews, and formulating research grants 

• Developing and managing public health surveillance programs to monitor and control the spread of known and emerging infectious diseases to prevent future pandemics, particularly in populations at risk of animal-to-human transmission

• Researching the unique characteristics of pathogens responsible for pandemics 

Given their variety of specializations, pandemic experts are employed in a variety of sectors, including pharma, biotechnology, academia, government, health services, and research institutes. Most pandemic experts have an advanced degree such as a master’s, Ph.D. or M.D. in a relevant discipline.

To hire a freelance pandemic consultant, the fee can range from 40–200 USD per hour depending on the required skillset and the level of experience necessary. 

The hourly fee can be negotiated upfront based on the estimated number of project hours, or a flat fee (for projects of a defined scope) can be discussed. If you need short-term/temporary access to pandemic expert services, then hiring a freelance consultant on our platform is a convenient and cost-effective way to work with these professionals.

The best way to attract the top Kolabtree freelancers in this field is to make your project description informative. You will need to provide details on the following:

• Skills required (e.g., pandemic virologist)

• What the project area is (e.g., viral respiratory disease)

• What the project entails (e.g., consulting on strategies to surveil and prevent animal-to-human transmission of viral respiratory diseases with pandemic potential)

• What the deliverables are (be specific about what you need the outputs to be)

• Duration of the project (provide an estimate of how many hours work you will need per week/by when you need the project to be completed)

• By when you need to hire (having more leeway on this will give you more time to choose the best expert for your needs)

• Your budget (per hour or fixed fee)

If you are unsure what exactly is required, providing as much detail as possible will allow the experts to still make an informed bid for your project and suggest the best routes forward. 

The Kolabtree platform makes it easier than ever before to rapidly connect with top pandemic consultants who can provide your project with the required expertise.