HLA-C and COVID-19: 15 genes were induced only in patients of Group 3 relative to controls. These genes included those associated with leptin (LCK, IRF1, VCAM1, SNAI1), MHC‐class I and II (HLA‐A, HLA‐C, HLA‐DQA2), and immune regulatory functions (IL10, CD40, NT5E, CORO1A). Considering only the 14 COVID‐19 patients, 17 genes were exclusively associated with BMI; among them those associated with cytokine signaling and immune response (CD40LG, CXCR2, ADORA2A, PIK3CD, and CD37) and receptors for the Fc region of IgG molecules (FCGR3A and FCGR3B) were downregulated.