TNF and bacterial infectious disease with sepsis: As shown in Figure 2, elevated levels of serum cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-2R, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) were observed in both bacterial sepsis and SARS-CoV-2 sepsis groups, but were lower in the latter group than in the former (the p-values in italics are all < 0.05 in Figures 3A–F).