Notably, the effects of separate virus or LPS inoculation were subclinical and failed to induce sustained cytokine levels, whereas the combination of the two agents significantly triggered severe respiratory disease and enhanced particularly TNF-α levels (Van Reeth et al., 2000), which are indeed relevant in the light of the present results showing boosted TNF-α levels in human blood and PBMCs with the combination of LPS and SARS-CoV-2 S protein. The gene discussed is PROS1; the disease is respiratory system disorder.