IL6 and Cirrhosis: We evaluated for the presence of abnormal liver enzymes at presentation, thereby excluding the effect of external factors such as antiviral medications (lopinavir/ritonavir) [21], IL-6 inhibitors (tocilizumab) [25], antipyretics (acetaminophen) [6], antibiotics (macrolides, quinolones), steroids, positive pressure ventilation, etc. Additionally, the baseline comorbidities, including cirrhosis, first recorded laboratory parameters, and oxygen requirements on admission were not significantly different among our patients, thus eliminating the significant heterogeneity among our study groups.