DSG2 protein was most likely to be detected, and at the highest concentration, in individuals from the acute COVID-19 ITU group (Fig. 1C), compared to individuals admitted to the ITU for reasons other than COVID-19 infection and healthy controls (48% [n = 10/21], 298 pg/ml [208–633] for the COVID-19 ITU group, 16% [n = 13/19], 157 pg/ml [57.2–215], P = 0.0007 for non-COVID-19 ITU group, and 21% [n = 7/33], 222 pg/ml [140–332], P = 0.0068 for healthy controls). This evidence concerns the gene DSG2 and COVID-19.