With its focus on COVID-19, season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy was released on November 12.

As the United States alone has over 11 million cases, sophomore Diego Davila Gil thought that “focusing a season on COVID-19 is a great move for the show.”

“Not only does it have the means to portray the virus in a scientifically correct way, it also has a lot of influence and it can help people understand the virus more from home,” Davila Gil added.

Scenarios from the season premiere that highlighted the urgency of COVID-19 were the lack of PPE (personal protection equipment) for hospital workers and the sheer number of patients who were said to have died of the virus.

“Honestly, it made me reevaluate some of our social distancing guidelines, as they seem pretty loose,” said senior Sophie Webster. “Any social difficulties people are going through right now is incomparable to the trauma healthcare workers are facing.”

Surgeons in the show were shown rushing around, attempting to save lives while following COVID-19 safety protocols.

“I absolutely think the show will help show the importance of staying safe. Grey’s Anatomy is a relatively accurate show so I think that people will respect and listen to what it has to say about the virus,” said Davila Gil.

“I’ve noticed that many people in Lamorinda and on social media don’t really bother with masks while out with friends,” said senior Zachary Chang. “With [Grey’s Anatomy’s] popularity amongst teens, I’m sure that it has helped reinforce the idea of wearing a mask and staying socially distant. The first episodes in this season really shows you the kind of stuff that many kids these days aren’t that aware of, such as the struggles hospital workers face and just how bad the consequences of getting sick can be.”

“I have not gone into a hospital during Covid (hopefully it stays that way), so I appreciated a glimpse into what hospital life is like now. I think they did a good job of showing how hard it is on the healthcare workers,” added Webster.

Chang said, “I’m hoping the show will at least give people a sense of empathy towards those on the front lines.”