Although it is still under debate, whether Ang II levels are regularly elevated in ARDS and COVID-19 patients (Liu et al., 2020; Wu et al., 2020; Files et al., 2021; Ozkan et al., 2021; Rieder et al., 2021; van Lier et al., 2021), our data suggest that Ang II mediated effects on the preBötC core respiratory network might be a mechanism involved in an increased respiratory drive in these patients, which may lead to patient self-inflicted lung injury (Hülsmann et al., 2020; Camporota et al., 2022). Here, AGT is linked to acute respiratory distress syndrome.