Comparison of respiratory pathogens in children with community-acquired pneumonia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Multifaceted non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic have not only reduced the transmission of SARS-CoV2, but have had an effect on the prevalence of other pathogens. This retrospective study aimed to compare and analyze the changes of respiratory pathogens in hospitalized children with community-acquired pneumonia. METHODS: From January 2019 to December 2020, children with community-acquired pneumonia were selected from the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. On the first day of hospitalization, sputum, throat swabs, venous blood samples from them were collected for detection of pathogens. RESULTS: A total of 2596 children with community-acquired pneumonia were enrolled, including 1871 patients in 2019 and 725 in 2020. The detection rate in 2020 was lower than in 2019, whether single or multiple pathogens. Compared with 2019, the detection rate of virus, especially parainfluenza virus, influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus, all decreased in 2020. On the contrary, the prevalence of human rhinovirus was much higher than that in 2019. In addition, the positivity rate for bacteria did not change much over the two years, which seemed to be less affected by COVID-19. And Mycoplasma pneumoniae which broke out in 2019 has been in low prevalence since March 2020 even following the reopening of school. CONCLUSIONS: Strict public health interventions for COVID-19 in China have effectively suppressed the spread of not only SARS-CoV2 but parainfluenza virus, influenza virus and Mycoplasma pneumonia as well. However, it had a much more limited effect on bacteria and rhinovirus. Therefore, more epidemiological surveillance of respiratory pathogens will help improve early preventive measures. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-023-04246-0.