Elevated plasmatic levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and others, in COVID-19, also known as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) plays a key role in the pathology of severe COVID-19[4–6] as suggested by the correlation between plasma IL-6 levels and COVID-19 severity.[7,8] Before the demonstration of efficacy of corticosteroids in COVID-19 by the Recovery and Solidarity trials,[9–11] there was an urgent need for novel therapies to treat COVID-19 associated/induced CRS. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and congenital rubella syndrome.