Doctors analyzed data from 70 different studies to understand how Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections changed in children and adolescents. This common germ causes respiratory illness, and the numbers tell a surprising story about the pandemic era. Before the pandemic started, about 21.72 percent of these kids had the infection. During the pandemic, that number dropped to 10.73 percent. But after the pandemic, the rate climbed to 28.64 percent. This suggests the virus did not simply disappear and then return to normal levels. It left a mark on how often this germ spreads among young people. The data also looked at specific age groups. Children older than six years saw a huge jump in infections after the pandemic compared to before. Infants under one year had much lower rates throughout the entire period. The timing mattered too. Infection rates were higher in autumn after the pandemic ended compared to autumn during the pandemic. Experts say we need more research to explain why these patterns happened. Understanding these shifts helps guide public health responses and clinical practice for the future. We must prepare better for similar changes in how diseases spread during global health events.
Meta-analysis shows Mycoplasma pneumoniae prevalence in children varied before, during, and after COVID-19Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in children rose sharply after the pandemic ended
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Key Takeaway
Consider that M. pneumoniae prevalence in children dropped during COVID-19 but rebounded post-pandemic, especially in older children.
This systematic review and meta-analysis of 70 studies assessed the prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in children and adolescents across three periods: before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The pooled prevalence was 21.72% (95% CI: 17.09, 26.73) before the pandemic, 10.73% (95% CI: 7.57, 14.35) during the pandemic, and 28.64% (95% CI: 22.74, 34.93) after the pandemic. Among children older than 6 years, prevalence was 46.35% before, 27.32% during, and 41.36% after the pandemic. In infants under 1 year, prevalence was 8.21% before, 4.87% during, and 7.81% after the pandemic. Seasonal data showed pre-pandemic summer prevalence of 33.34% and autumn prevalence of 31.00%, while pandemic autumn prevalence dropped to 15.51% and post-pandemic autumn rose to 37.97%.
The authors note that the observed decline during the pandemic may reflect the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions, but caution that further research is needed to explain these patterns and improve future pandemic preparedness. The analysis did not report on specific interventions, comparators, or adverse events, and the included studies were observational, so causal conclusions cannot be drawn.
Clinically, these findings highlight the dynamic epidemiology of M. pneumoniae in children, with a rebound after pandemic restrictions. The results can guide clinical practice and public health responses, particularly in anticipating seasonal and age-related variations in infection prevalence.
What this means for you:
Infection rates in children jumped significantly after the pandemic ended compared to before. More on Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection
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View Original Abstract ↓
Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is a major cause of respiratory tract infections in children and adolescents, yet its epidemiological burden before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic remains unclear. This meta-analysis, which searched Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library for reports published up to December 25, 2025, aimed to evaluate trends in the prevalence of M. pneumoniae infections across these three periods to guide clinical practice and public health responses. A total of 70 studies were included, and methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute criteria. The pooled prevalence of M. pneumoniae infections before, during, and after COVID-19 was calculated in R 4.5.0, with Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation for extreme proportions. The prevalence of M. pneumoniae infections before COVID-19, during COVID-19, and after COVID-19 was 21.72% (95% CI: 17.09, 26.73), 10.73% (95% CI: 7.57, 14.35), and 28.64% (95% CI: 22.74, 34.93), respectively. Age-stratified analysis revealed the highest prevalence consistently in children > 6 years (pre-pandemic: 46.35%; during-pandemic: 27.32%; post-pandemic: 41.36%) and the lowest in infants < 1 year (8.21%, 4.87%, and 7.81%, respectively). Seasonally, pre-pandemic prevalence peaked in summer (33.34%) and autumn (31.00%). During the pandemic, overall rates declined but remained highest in autumn (15.51%). Post-pandemic, prevalence rebounded broadly, peaking in autumn (37.97%). In conclusion, this study summarises M. pneumoniae trends in children and adolescents before and after COVID-19, indicating a delayed resurgence following the pandemic, and highlights the need for further research to explain these patterns and improve future pandemic preparedness.
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