To confirm these findings and investigate the role of ERK1/2 activation on SARS-CoV-2 infection in a more physiological scenario we next assessed the antiviral activity of ATR-002 in air–liquid-interface (ALI) cultures of primary nasal airway epithelial cells (AEC) which represent one of the most accurate models for infection of the upper respiratory tract. The gene discussed is MAPK3; the disease is infection.