Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) releaseis a measure of plasma-membrane integrity conventionally used to assayassociated cell damage.45 More recently,it has also been recognized as an important inflammatory biomarker,alongside established markers including CRP, IL-1β, and IL-6in the context of cancer,46 pneumonia,47 and diabetic retinopathy48 models, as well as, very recently, in COVID-19.49 This evidence concerns the gene IL1B and pneumonia.