The genes ACO1 and ATL3 were identified as an intersect of gene signatures for COVID-19 versus HCs and non-COVID-19 versus HCs, which were further contextualized when considering the top ranking genes of the novel “COVID-19-specific gene signature”, suggesting we have illuminated novel biology of the host immune response to a totally novel viral infection, but our findings will need to be replicated in further clinical studies. Here, ATL3 is linked to COVID-19.