Epidemiological Study on Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae Infection of Hospitalized Children in a Single Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

BackgroundSince the outbreak of COVID-19, a series of preventive and control measures in China have been used to effectively curb the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infection during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsMP IgM antibody and CP IgM antibody were detected in all hospitalized children due to acute respiratory tract infection in the Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang University from January 2019 to December 2020. These data were compared between 2019 and 2020 based on age and month.ResultsThe overall detection rate of MP and CP in 2020 was significantly lower than that in 2019 (MP: 21.5% vs 32.9%, P<0.001; CP: 0.3% vs 0.9%, P<0.001). This study found a 4-fold reduction in the number of children positive for MP and a 7.5-fold reduction in the number of children positive for CP from 2019 to 2020. The positive cases were concentrated in children aged >1 year old. In 2019, the positive rate of MP was detected more commonly in children 3 years of age or older than in younger children. In 2020, the higher positive rate of MP reached a peak in the 3- to 6-year age group (35.3%). CP was detected predominantly in children aged 6 years older in 2019 and 2020, with positive rates of 4.8% and 2.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, the positive rates of MP in 2019 were detected more commonly in July, August and September, with 47.2%, 46.7% and 46.3%, respectively. Nevertheless, the positive rates of MP from February to December 2020 apparently decreased compared to those in 2019. The positive rates of CP were evenly distributed throughout the year, with 0.5%-1.6% in 2019 and 0.0%-2.1% in 2020.ConclusionsA series of preventive and control measures for SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic can not only contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 but also sharply improve the infection of other atypical pathogens, including MP and CP.

Metabolomics analysis identifies glutamic acid and cystine imbalances in COVID-19 patients without comorbid conditions. Implications on redox homeostasis and COVID-19 pathophysiology

“…Another limitation is that we did not include additional controls with other viral pneumonias in which hypoxia and respiratory failure may lead to altered metabolomics, particularly when associated to hypoxic liver injury [ 94 , 95 ]. Nevertheless, in this vein it should be emphasized that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of other opportunistic and/or viral pneumonias dramatically decreased in several regions, including ours [ 96 – 99 ] most probably due to the mandatory measures imposed for COVID-19 prevention [ 99 ]. Finally, our metabolomics study was limited to males as it is well known that the metabolomic profile in premenopausal women varies with the menstrual cycle, particularly during the luteal phase.…”

Nonpharmaceutical interventions for COVID‐19 disrupt the dynamic balance between influenza A virus and human immunity

“…35 Our previous studies found that the total number of children with respiratory symptoms in our hospital decreased by 61.77% in 2020 compared with that in 2019, and the number of children with common respiratory virus infection decreased by 64.59% compared with that in 2019, [36][37][38][39] including atypical bacteria. 36,40 IAV was not detected from February 2020. 38 Surprisingly, there are also effects on infections with intestinal pathogens and diseases such as allergies.…”

“…[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] To contain the sudden COVID-19 epidemic, almost all countries in the world have not only recommended that their citizens be vaccinated against COVID-19 [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] but also adopted a series of strict NPIs, such as hand effective in controlling other respiratory virus infections. 35 Our previous studies found that the total number of children with respiratory symptoms in our hospital decreased by 61.77% in 2020 compared with that in 2019, and the number of children with common respiratory virus infection decreased by 64.59% compared with that in 2019, [36][37][38][39] including atypical bacteria. 36,40 IAV was not detected from February 2020.…”

Long COVID and the Neuroendocrinology of Microbial Translocation Outside the GI Tract: Some Treatment Strategies

“…As viral infections are often accompanied by secondary bacterial contagion, coinfection may contribute to the majority of unfavorable outcomes. Indeed, Mycoplasma comorbidity has been associated with poor COVID-19 prognosis, while epidemiological studies show up to 47% comorbidity between SARS-CoV-2 and Mycoplasma [174][175][176][177][178][179][180]. In addition, like SARS-CoV-2, Mycoplasma infections have been associated with BBB dysfunction and IBD, connecting this cell wall-deficient bacterium to biological barrier dysfunction [181][182][183].…”