We mainly investigated IFN-β instead of IFN-α because IFN-α is blocked in the production step, leaving the IFN-β response to be the major target for SARS-CoV-2 to combat (IFN-α production is diminished in mouse model) (59), and the potential for response to IFN-α was not affected in COVID-19 patients (10). This evidence concerns the gene IFNB1 and COVID-19.