Thus, we compared the release of the three key adaptive and innate cytokines IL-2, IFNγ and TNF in response to unspecific stimulation with Pokeweed mitogen (PWM) in severely ill COVID-19 patients with pneumonia, in patients with sepsis originating from bacterial pneumonia and in patients with bacterial sepsis originating from other foci than pneumonia. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is susceptibility to pneumonia measurement.