Elevated levels of ACE2 mRNA is observed in airway brushings from COPD patients compared to non-COPD and in current smokers vs never smokers (cohorts of n = 20–220) (Leung et al., 2020; Muus et al., 2020; Smith et al., 2020; Cai, 2020). The gene discussed is ACE2; the disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.