Independent side-by-side validation and comparison of four serological platforms for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing

Jahrsdörfer, Bernd; Kroschel, Joris; Ludwig, Carolin; Corman, Victor Max; Schwarz, Tatjana; Körper, Sixten; Rojewski, Markus; Lotfi, Ramin; Weinstock, Christof; Drosten, Christian; Seifried, Erhard; Stamminger, Thomas; Groß, Hans Jürgen; Schrezenmeier, Hubert

Highly sensitive and specific platforms for the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are becoming increasingly important for (1) evaluating potential SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma donors, (2) studying the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections and (3) identifying individuals with seroconversion. This study provides a comparative validation of four anti-SARS-CoV-2 platforms. Unique feature of this study is the use of a representative cohort of COVID-19-convalescent patients with mild-to-moderate disease course. All platforms showed significant correlations with a SARS-CoV-2 plaque-reduction-neutralization test, with highest sensitivities for the Euroimmun and the Roche platforms, suggesting their preferential use for screening of persons at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infections.