Increased inflammatory cytokines and cellular recruitment are thought to mediate these influenza-related cardiovascular diseases and reports of increased levels of TNFα, VEGF, GCSF, CM-CSF, basic FGF, IFNg, IL-1b, IL-1RA, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IP-10, MIP-1a, MIP-1b, MCP-1, and PDGF in COVID-19 infected patients versus healthy controls bolsters this theory [51]. This evidence concerns the gene IL1B and COVID-19.