TNF and COVID-19: In COVID-19 patients, a high level of ICAM-1 (Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1) gene is observed, induced by cytokines including Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) and Interleukin-1 (IL-1) that regulates influenza virus infection in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEpC) during the primary stages of infection [55].