Aim: This study investigated the humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 in patients needing intensive care unit (ICU) care compared with those on general medicine wards. Materials & methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed 113 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. They assessed antibody response against five SARS-CoV-2 epitopes at 6–14 days post symptom onset in these patients. Results: Patients with ICU admissions had decreased anti-nucleocapsid immunoglobulin (Ig)M and increased anti-spike IgG compared with patients not requiring the ICU. IgG levels were positively correlated with length of stay. Conclusion: Higher levels of IgG against the spike protein correlate with COVID-19 disease severity and length of stay in hospitalized patients. This adds to the knowledge of biochemical response to clinical disease and may help predict ICU needs.
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