Cholesterol in the macrophages of CVD patients (as ox-LDL and CCs) activates NLRP3 and promotes the development of atherosclerosis, which also induces a systemic inflammatory state that provides favorable conditions for SARS-CoV-2 infection and indirectly leads to a poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients. The gene discussed is NLRP3; the disease is atherosclerosis.