Several data support the involvement of an increased activity of ADAM17 in both COVID-19`s comorbidities and SARS-CoV-2 infection: i) increased plasma levels of ACE2 soluble form (sACE2) with age in men (40, 41); ii) higher expression levels of sACE2 in men, with heart failure, than woman as a consequence of increased ADAM17 activity (67); and iii) higher ACE2 level expression and up-regulated activity of ADAM17 in patients with chronic pulmonary inflammation (54), COPD (41, 80), diabetes (82, 83) and renal diseases (86). Here, ACE2 is linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.