CFTR and pneumonia: These observations indicated that abnormal CFTR function might be a key factor predisposing to the development of severe pneumonia or recalcitrant airway microbial infections, and therefore, CFTR has been hypothesized as a therapeutic target of COVID-19.13 Here, we stimulated the RECs with the SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins to investigate whether the CFTR-Cl− signaling pathway is implicated in exuberant airway inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, and further elucidate the underlying mechanisms.