However, these findings support a potential contribution of ORF8 to the virulence of SARS-CoV-2, as proposed by one study showing that ORF8 mimics the host IL-17 cytokine and contributes to COVID-19 severe inflammation (21) and the observation that SARS-CoV-2-∆8 induces less inflammation in the lungs of hamsters (22). This evidence concerns the gene IL17A and COVID-19.