Show bosses have confirmed that the long-running medical drama will tackle Covid-19 in the forthcoming 17th season.
While filming of the new season of Grey's Anatomy has been delayed due to the pandemic, it has been revealed that the writers of the much-loved show, which is shown on RTÉ 2, will include several storylines related to coronavirus.
Speaking at an event hosted by the US Television Academy executive producer Krista Vernoff said: "We’re going to address this pandemic for sure. There’s no way to be a long-running medical show and not do the medical story of our lifetimes."
Vernoff, who was on the panel with Grey's stars Chandra Wilson (Dr Miranda Bailey) and Kevin McKidd (Dr Owen Hunt) said that the show's writers are meeting with real-life doctors, who have shared their stories about dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Every year, we have doctors come and tell us their stories, and usually they’re telling their funniest or craziest stories. This year, it has felt more like therapy.
"The doctors come in and we’re the first people they’re talking to about these types of experiences they’re having. They are literally 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.
"And that’s been one of our big conversations about Owen, is that he’s actually trained for this in a way that most of the other doctors aren’t."
Vernoff added that it's been "really painful" to hear about the suffering that patients and healthcare workers are experiencing during the pandemic. "I feel like our show has an opportunity and a responsibility to tell some of those stories," she said.
