With TV Shut Down, How Medical Shows Are Stepping Up to Help Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

While some might lament that there are way too many medical shows on television, that's actually proving to be a benefit amid the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, as these shows have come up with a novel way to step up and make a huge difference.

With almost every television production shut down and nationwide shortages already starting to be felt, almost all of the major medical shows -- from "Grey's Anatomy" to "The Good Doctor" and "The Resident" -- have made the call to donate their surgical masks, gloves and other medical supplies to the people who really need them most right now.

One doctor shared the story to her Instagram page of how she and her colleagues at Grady Hospital in Atlanta received a generous donation of gowns, masks, gloves and all the other medical gear that real healthcare professionals need and will continue to need in the days and weeks ahead as COVID-19 continues to impact the medical industry from Fox's "The Resident."

"Yesterday, I had a serious discussion with the residents about how, though supplies are low, a magical shipment of masks is unlikely to arrive," wrote Dr. Karen Law. "And yet, a magical shipment of masks DID arrive, in the form of this very generous gesture. This kind of community support means so much to our #frontlineproviders who are making many sacrifices to staff our hospitals and care for our community."

"Grey's Anatomy" and sister show "Station 19" also got in on the act of giving, with TV Guide reporting that the latter has donated N95 masks to their local fire station, while "Grey's" is donating their own backstock of gowns and gloves to local hospitals in Los Angeles.

"At 'Station 19,' we were lucky enough to have about 300 of the coveted N95 masks, which we donated to our local fire station. They were tremendously grateful. At 'Grey's Anatomy,' we have a backstock of gowns and gloves which we are donating as well," said Kristan Vernoff, the showrunner for both shows.

Meanwhile up north in Vancouver, Canada, the outlet reports that the team behind "The Good Doctor" was in active talks with their local government about donating their own stock of medical supplies as needed to local healthcare and emergency responders.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has more than 227,000 confirmed cases and killed more than 9,300 according to recent media reports as of March 19.

Though the outbreak originated in Wuhan, China, the coronavirus has spread to at least 150 other countries and territories. In the US, more than 9,500 Americans have contracted the virus and over 150 have died. However, medical experts and epidemiologists predict the numbers will rise.

To see more of our coverage on COVID-19, click here.

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