IFNA2 and COVID-19: Other pivotal studies have shown higher prevalence of mutations in genes involved in type I IFN response, as well as the presence of high titers of neutralizing antibodies against IFN-α2 and IFN-ω in a subset of patients with severe COVID-19 [13, 14]; however, it is not clear if those mechanisms contribute to the increased risk for severe COVID-19 in patients with SLE.