Epidemiological characteristics of mycoplasma pneumoniae in hospitalized children before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Chongqing, China

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a significant cause of community-acquired pneumonia with high macrolide resistance rates. Various COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have impacted the prevalence of MP. To assess the changes in the pattern of MP infections among children before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 36685 enrolled patients, aged 0-18 years, diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted to Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to December 2023, were retrospectively reviewed in this study. The epidemiological characteristics of pediatric MP infection were analyzed. Among 36685 patients, 7610 (20.74%) tested positive for MP. The highest positive rate was observed among children aged over 6 years (55.06%). There was no gender disparity in MP infection across the three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospital stays were longest for children during the COVID-19 pandemic (