Similar retrospective studies of hospitalized COVID-19 patients from China revealed that disease severity was correlated with active inflammatory markers as IL-6 and lactate dehydrogenase and that patients with DM had greater inflammatory response with higher IL-6, CRP, ESR and relative neutrophilia with lymphopenia as well as higher incidence of coagulopathy with higher D-dimer levels and longer prothrombin times (36, 37). The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is lymphopenia.