BackgroundThe 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsAmong 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).
Frontiers in Immunology published a clinical update in Infectious Disease on 07 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on Impact of COVID-19 on the epidemiological features of mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children with community-acquired pneumonia in Ganzhou, China.
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