Once verified that atypical viral pneumonia and most experimental models of ARDS are indeed characterized by downregulation or, in the case of β-coronaviruses, actual annihilation of ACE2 everywhere this enzyme is located (i.e., lungs, heart, brain, blood vessels, kidney, and liver), how does the ACE/ACE2 imbalance manifest itself? The gene discussed is ACE2; the disease is acute respiratory distress syndrome.