Ellen Pompeo has already thought about the possibility of starring in a coronavirus-themed episode of 'Grey's Anatomy'.

The 50-year-old actress - who stars as Dr Meredith Grey on the hit TV show - has revealed she's considered the prospect of appearing in an episode that focuses on the pandemic.

Asked if there might be a coronavirus episode of the show, Ellen told Variety: ''I don't know. I thought about it.''

Ellen also heaped praise on the real-life healthcare workers who are currently fighting the pandemic.

She said: ''Our healthcare professionals, the fact that they're fighting this fight unprepared without the proper gear is really heartbreaking for me.

''When people are struggling, if you're struggling, I think it's always helpful to think of someone else and think of what you could do for someone else.''

The actress revealed that some fans of the show - which premiered back in 2005 - have been inspired to pursue a career in the medical profession because of 'Grey's Anatomy'.

She explained: ''It really started probably like year 10, because by that time it was everybody who had sort of grown up with the show.

''They started watching the show when they were 14 or whatever, so when they're 24, they've graduated college and now they're in medical school.

''People were saying, 'I went to medical school because of you. I went to nursing school because of you. I'm an x-ray tech because of 'Grey's.'''

Meanwhile, Ellen also confessed she doesn't know what the future holds for season 18 of the show, as four episodes of the series have not yet been filmed.

Asked how the situation might be resolved amid the pandemic, she said: ''I don't know. As far as I know, our writer's room is not up yet. Obviously, they can't gather.''