Lisa Kudrow felt like ''a monster'' for not allowing mourners to hug at her mother's funeral.

The former 'Friends' star's mum died in February before the coronavirus had been declared a worldwide pandemic, but she still felt a duty to try and prevent the spread of the respiratory illness.

She told The Hollywood Reporter: ''Most people were just looking at me like I was a monster when I'd take two steps back, put up my hands and say, 'Hi, thanks for coming.' ''

Lisa described it as ''the hardest decision'' but one she felt she should take because the family had been at the hospital with her mother.

She added: ''I was the one who asked the rabbi to please let everyone know there was to be no hugging because we were all in an emergency room with her.

''That was the hardest decision because we weren't there yet and we had only just heard the words 'social distancing.'

''I'm a freak and all I could think that whole day was there has to be coronavirus here.''

The 56-year-old actress suspects she could have had a ''really mild'' case of COVID-19 because she briefly experienced a ''mild fever'' along with other symptoms of a cold, but she admitted she could also have been ''drained''.

Lisa - who explained she hasn't had a test for the virus because other other people need it more than she does - also praised health care workers during the global health crisis, as she noted the sacrifices they are making.

She said: ''That's the stuff that breaks my heart too, when I see parents, especially in the health care field, who come home from work and are like, 'Hi, remember, we have to stay away from mommy.'

''How is a 3-year-old supposed to understand that?''