Using 'they' like that has absolutely nothing to do with "the current thing"

"The patient should be told at the outset how much they will be required to pay."

[3]"But a journalist should not be forced to reveal their sources."[3]

This use of singular they had emerged by the 14th century, about a century after the plural they.[4][5][2] It has been commonly employed in everyday English ever since

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they