An enormous research effort continues to unravel the complexities of COVID-19. Two major studies published recently based on a massive international collaborative effort led by Rockefeller University in New York City and Institut Imagine in Paris indicate that genetic abnormalities together with autoantibodies that reduce type 1 interferon levels can explain nearly 25% of severe cases of COVID-19. These discoveries, accelerated using automated, microfluidic immunoassays to process over 30,000 samples, may have major consequences on how we handle patient screening and care during the ongoing pandemic.