IL18 and infection: However, during later stages of the infection cycle, SARS-CoV-2 triggers an ongoing expression and/or activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer in B-cells (NF-κB) and downstream, of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-18 (hereinafter termed ‘pro-inflammatory cytokines’) and IFN-γ (the only type II IFN), with little contribution of antiviral IFN I/III (3, 10).