Retraction: First viral replication of Covid-19 identified in the peritoneal dialysis fluid

Abstract

Note editor : retraction of case report https://doi.org/10.25796/bdd.v3i1.54503

Dear Editor-in-chief,
By this letter we would like to retract our case report entitled « First viral replication of
Covid-19 identified in the peritoneal dialysis fluid of a symptomatic patient» that we
submitted to your journal one week ago. We indeed wanted to inform the renal
community of a potential presence of Covid-19 virus in the peritoneal dialysis fluid in
patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis treatment. However, the patient general status
impaired and he was transferred to an intensive care unit for acute myocardial
insufficiency. During this stay, he was re-checked for a number of other organs
alterations. A total of 7 RT-PCR SARS-Cov2 tests , validated by the National Reference
Center, were done : 2 by nasopharyngeal swabs, 1 in bronchoalveolar lavage, 3 peritoneal
dialysate and one in stool. A serological test was also performed. All tests were found
negative. The CT scan was analyzed again by a specialized radiologist and although a
COVID-19 pulmonary disease was likely, it was not possible to rule out a pulmonary
edema secondary to an acute myocarditis of different origin.
Therefore, based on these later information, and after careful discussion with the
virologists, we think that the first positive PCR result was erroneous, without clear
explanation for this. Until new cases appear, the fact that two subsequent peritoneal
dialysate carefully processed were negative indicates that we cannot reliably prove a
peritoneal dialysate contamination by COVID-19 virus in our patient. We deeply apologize
for this premature publication.
M.Nouvier and D.Fouque for the authors