One severe clinical manifestation in patients with COVID-19 is an extensive systemic immune reaction triggered by the excessive production of inflammatory mediators such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1α/CCL3), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-10 (ref. 9). The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is COVID-19.