IL6 and COVID-19: Endothelial activation becomes particularly relevant in acute COVID-19, where the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other complications are triggered by a cytokine storm, i.e., a burst of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), among others [9, 26].