Jouan et al. report reduced frequencies of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells and invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells in peripheral blood of critically ill patients with COVID-19-induced ARDS. By contrast, MAIT cells were increased in endotracheal aspirate (ETA) samples, suggesting enhanced recruitment to the airways. Moreover, ETA innate T cells were more activated in samples with higher pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, suggesting that innate T cells contribute to local inflammation. In early COVID-19, the level of MAIT and iNKT cell activation in peripheral blood correlated with preserved lung oxygenation, suggesting that activation status of innate T cells may be predictive of disease severity. Further studies are needed to dissect the potentially ambiguous role of innate T cells in COVID-19.