In our study, zinc-transporter-10 [Q6XR72] and myeloid zinc finger 1 [P28698], showcasing a structural connection between viral and eukaryotic binding sites, were found significantly diminished in the post-COVID-19 group compared to controls, indicating the capacity of SARS-CoV-2 to compete with host proteins for zinc binding. The gene discussed is MZF1; the disease is COVID-19.