Antibody False Positivity Among COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Donors: A Comparative Study from the Turkish Red Crescent Blood Center

Abstract

Aim: During our routine work at the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) laboratories, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 1/2 antibody false-positive results were observed among Coronavirus disease-2019 convalescent plasma (CP) donors more frequently than healthy donors. We aimed to determine anti-HIV 1/2 antibody false-positivity rates among the CP donors and healthy blood donors. Methods: The present study was designed as a cross-sectional study which was a type of observational study. Total 3689 donations from 2593 donors donated CP to the TRC between 11 April-06 July 2020, were screened by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay for the presence of antibody against HIV ½. The confirmation tests were performed with line immunoassay. All of the donors were non-remunerated CP donors between the ages of 18-60. For the control group, 411078 donations from 407363 healthy blood donors were received on the same days. Results: Repeated reactivity rates (1.87%) were significantly higher than the control group (0.13%, p