ACE2 and acute respiratory distress syndrome: SARS-CoV-2 targets the human respiratory system,exploiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor tofacilitate entry into host cells.1,2 This interactiontriggers a cascade of biological events, which finally result in characteristicCOVID-19 symptoms ranging from mild respiratory distress to severepneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.3,4 Thus,the systematic study of SARS-CoV-2 virology is crucial for developingeffective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.