Similarly, control patients with a diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia or other respiratory viral infections showed lower C5a and VCAM-1 concentrations compared to COVID-19 cases despite a slightly higher CRP concentration, whereas an increase in E-selectin concentrations was mainly observed in patients with bacterial pneumonia and was less pronounced in patients with other respiratory viral infections (Supplementary Tables 1, 2). The gene discussed is VCAM1; the disease is bacterial pneumonia.