ACE2 and COVID-19: Given that SARS-COV-2 utilizes the membrane-bound ACE2 as a receptor and induces its shedding by activating other membrane-bound enzymes such as ADAM17 and ADAM104, it is plausible that circulating ACE2 levels in COVID-19 patients to a greater extent reflects disease severity, compared to sepsis, based on the findings of the present study.