IL1B and COVID-19: Coinciding with elevated plasma levels of IL-1β (3), single cell transcriptomic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) has shown a greater abundance of classical CD14++ CD16− IL1β+ monocytes in COVID-19 patients when compared to healthy controls (HCs) (68), whilst analysis of RNA extracted from whole blood found increased IL-1β gene expression preceded a decline in respiratory function (69).