Although the mRNA levels of Dicer, XPO5, SRSF3, and hnRNPA3 were associated with COVID-19 severity, and their knockdown increased the severity of N protein-induced pneumonia in mice, whether their expression levels in pre-infected lung tissue are key determinants of COVID-19 severity remains to be elucidated. Here, XPO5 is linked to susceptibility to pneumonia measurement.