TNF and acute respiratory distress syndrome: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pathophysiologic role of biomarkers and potential therapeutic options to alter these biomarkers in COVID-19 ARDS (CARDS) (3–5) have become a growing area of research, with a focus on systemic and alveolar pro-inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α.