'Grey's Anatomy' to add coronavirus storyline in season 17

Long-running TV show, Grey's Anatomy is no stranger to adding timely social issues to their script - over the past years, they've tackled issues like racism, homelessness, and rape. Now, according to CBS News, the show plans to address the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its impact on first responders. 

The move was confirmed by executive producer Krista Vernoff on Tuesday, who said, "There's no way to be a long-running medical show and not do the medical story of our lifetimes. We're going to address this pandemic for sure."

Addressing a panel during the Television Academy's panel, Quaranstreaming: Comfort TV That Keeps Us Going, Vernoff also shared that the writers have been working with real doctors to learn about the direct impacts of Covid-19 on health care. "The doctors come in and we're the first people they're talking to about these types of experiences they're having. They are shaking and trying not to cry, they're pale, and they're talking about it as war — a war that they were not trained for," she said, relaying how in previous years their stories used to be more about anecdotal than cathartic. 

"It's really painful to realize what doctors are going through daily. While we're sitting at home trying not to get sick, they're having to be family and friends to their patients because families and friends aren't allowed in. They're holding people while they die. It's a lot and I feel like our show has an opportunity and a responsibility to tell some of those stories," she further expressed. 

According to Vernoff, the storyline has been reserved for the character of Dr. Owen Hunt, plated by actor Kevin McKidd, who is a former U.S. Army trauma surgeon. "It's really important to reflect what's going on in our society right now in our show, It puts up a mirror sometimes to what's happening in America and the world," said McKidd during the panel. 

Shooting for the upcoming season is currently on hold because of the pandemic. 

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below