Several studies suggest that IL-1β production is an important factor in inflammatory responses during COVID-19 (Del Valle et al, 2020; Makaremi et al, 2022; Potere et al, 2022; Yudhawati Sakina and Fitriah, 2022) but mechanisms that control IL-1β production or type-I IFN responses upon SARS-CoV-2 infection remain unidentified. The gene discussed is IL1B; the disease is COVID-19.