ACE2 and acute respiratory distress syndrome: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the viral cause of COVID-19 [5], down-regulates angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), increasing angiotensin II [6] and promoting lung injury [7], risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome, cardiac injury [8], inflammation, coagulation, endothelial dysfunction [9], tissue factor and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression [10], and microvascular thrombosis.