A Case of Malaria Patient with SARS-CoV-2 Antibody False-Positive

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection are used to diagnose or exclude suspected COVID-19 patients as a supplement to nucleic acid detection. False-positive results of SARS-CoV-2 antibody have been reported but rarely associated with malaria. A case of malaria patient with SARS-CoV-2 antibody false-positive is described. Case presentation: A 24 year-old male returned from Côte d’Ivoire was diagnosed Plasmodium falciparum by Malaria rapid diagnostic test. The patient had suspicious exposure to COVID-19. His SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibody was positive one day before admission and turned negative on the 18th day of admission, while the IgG antibody and nasopharyngeal swabs SARS-Cov-2 nucleic acid had been negative. Conclusion: Malaria might cause false positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibody. A careful interpretation of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody result is useful to avoid wasting medical resources especially malaria-endemic areas.