Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health interventions have significantly influenced the epidemiology of respiratory infections. This single-center retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate changes in MP infection patterns among children before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed data from 15,718 pediatric patients (aged 1–18 years) with CAP admitted to Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023. The study periods were defined as pre-pandemic (January 1, 2017, to January 22, 2020), pandemic (January 23, 2020, to December 11, 2022), and post-pandemic (December 12, 2022, to December 31, 2023). Epidemiological characteristics of MP infections were assessed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Among the 15,718 patients, 5,454 (34.7%) tested positive for MP. The highest positivity rate was observed in children aged > 6 years (52.4%), with a male predominance across all age groups. Most infections occurred in autumn (41.5%). The MP positivity rate was lowest during the pandemic period and highest in the post-pandemic period (P < 0.001). Regression analysis indicated a broadening of the susceptible age range following the pandemic onset. COVID-19 containment measures altered the transmission dynamics of MP, affecting demographic characteristics such as age distribution and seasonal trends. Continuous surveillance of MP epidemiology in the post-pandemic era is recommended to inform clinical management and public health strategies.
Liu et al. (2026) studied this question.