Impact of COVID-19 on the epidemiological features of mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children with community-acquired pneumonia in Ganzhou, China.
The COVID-19 pandemic and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have altered the global epidemiology of respiratory pathogens, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). However, the impact of MP infection on children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Ganzhou, China, remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of MP infection among hospitalized pediatric CAP patients in Ganzhou, China.
We retrospectively analyzed 27,369 hospitalized pediatric CAP patients (2017-2024), comparing MP positivity, seasonality, age distribution, and severity across pre-pandemic, NPIs, and post-NPIs phases.
Among 27,369 CAP patients, 3,334 were MP-positive (12.18%). The positivity rate dropped during Phase II (3.78%, 158/4,183) then rebounded sharply in Phase III to 21.17% (2,385/11,268), exceeding the pre-pandemic baseline (χ²=45.65, p < 0.001). The seasonal pattern exhibited changes, with the spring positivity rate increasing from 4.06% (146/3,594) in Phase I to 19.94% (577/2,893) in Phase III (χ²=505.33, p < 0.001). Regarding age distribution, the 7-10 years age group showed the highest positivity rate 30.76% (638/2,074; χ²=1,789.43, p < 0.001). However, in Phase III, the 4-6 years group exhibited a significant rise to 29.79% (883/2,964), compared with 13.00% (184/1,415) in Phase I and 7.87% (41/521) in Phase II (χ²=226.65, p < 0.001). In the 1-3 years group, the proportion of severe pneumonia reached its highest numerical proportion in Phase II (14.55%, 8/55), which was significantly greater than the proportions in Phase I (2.56%, 8/313) and Phase III (10.21%, 82/803; χ²=20.08, p < 0.001). Notably, both the median hospitalization duration and the rate of mechanical ventilation for severe pneumonia were significantly higher in Phase I than in Phases II and III.
After the relaxation of NPIs, pediatric MP infections among hospitalized pediatric CAP patients in Ganzhou not only rebounded strongly but also exhibited a shift in epidemic peaks toward spring, alongside a notable change in susceptibility among younger children.
We retrospectively analyzed 27,369 hospitalized pediatric CAP patients (2017-2024), comparing MP positivity, seasonality, age distribution, and severity across pre-pandemic, NPIs, and post-NPIs phases.
Among 27,369 CAP patients, 3,334 were MP-positive (12.18%). The positivity rate dropped during Phase II (3.78%, 158/4,183) then rebounded sharply in Phase III to 21.17% (2,385/11,268), exceeding the pre-pandemic baseline (χ²=45.65, p < 0.001). The seasonal pattern exhibited changes, with the spring positivity rate increasing from 4.06% (146/3,594) in Phase I to 19.94% (577/2,893) in Phase III (χ²=505.33, p < 0.001). Regarding age distribution, the 7-10 years age group showed the highest positivity rate 30.76% (638/2,074; χ²=1,789.43, p < 0.001). However, in Phase III, the 4-6 years group exhibited a significant rise to 29.79% (883/2,964), compared with 13.00% (184/1,415) in Phase I and 7.87% (41/521) in Phase II (χ²=226.65, p < 0.001). In the 1-3 years group, the proportion of severe pneumonia reached its highest numerical proportion in Phase II (14.55%, 8/55), which was significantly greater than the proportions in Phase I (2.56%, 8/313) and Phase III (10.21%, 82/803; χ²=20.08, p < 0.001). Notably, both the median hospitalization duration and the rate of mechanical ventilation for severe pneumonia were significantly higher in Phase I than in Phases II and III.
After the relaxation of NPIs, pediatric MP infections among hospitalized pediatric CAP patients in Ganzhou not only rebounded strongly but also exhibited a shift in epidemic peaks toward spring, alongside a notable change in susceptibility among younger children.