When comparing affected upstream regulator networks in SARS-CoV-2 NHBE and lung tissue from COVID-19 patients, we observed 14 common activated (IFNL1, CST5, SPI1, TRAP1, IFNG, NUPR1, TGM2, SMARCB1, RNY3, STAT1, IRF9, PRL, IFNA2, and Interferon α) and 9 common suppressed networks (TAP1, GPER1, TFEB, UHRF2, ASPSCR1-TFE3, IL1RN, BTK, SYVN1, and MAPK1, Figure 6b), suggesting changes observed in patient tissue are indeed inflicted by SARS-CoV-2 infection. This evidence concerns the gene IL1RN and COVID-19.