Upregulation of the proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α in COVID-19 patients, particularly in those with more severe disease, raises doubts whether the cause of the severe meningoencephalitis or/and other neurologic manifestations in COVID-19 patients is the peripheral inflammation rather than direct SARS-CoV-2 invasion (Benameur et al., 2020; Dolatshahi et al., 2021). The gene discussed is CXCL8; the disease is COVID-19.