Importantly an increase in serum levels of the neutrophil granule proteins MPO, lactoferrin and elastase in the COVID-19 ARDS patient cohort (Figure 6L) confirmed a phenotype of enhanced circulating neutrophil degranulation in the COVID-19 ARDS patient cohort, which was not impacted by dexamethasone (Figure 6M). This evidence concerns the gene MPO and COVID-19.