In contrast to progranulin, procalcitonin levels were not significantly different between healthy controls and patients with either a localized infection or non-COVID-19 CAP (both groups, p ≥ 0.195), but were marginally but significantly higher when COVID-19 patients were compared to those with non-COVID-19 CAP (Additional file 1: Table S10). This evidence concerns the gene GRN and infection.