Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiological features in children after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: This study collected throat swabs and serum samples from hospitalized pediatric patients of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei province, China before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Respiratory infected pathogens [adenovirus (ADV), influenza virus A/B (Flu A/B), parainfluenza virus 1/2/3 (PIV1/2/3), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), and Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP)] were detected. The pathogens, age, and gender were used to analyze the epidemiological features in children after the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The pathogen detection rate was significantly higher in females than in males (P<0.05), and the infection of PIV1 and MP was mainly manifested. After the COVID-19 pandemic, PIV1, PIV3, RSV, and MP had statistically different detection rates among the age groups (P<0.05), and was mainly detected in patients aged 0-6 years, 0-3 years, 0-3 years, and 1-6 years, respectively. When comparing before the COVID-19 pandemic, the total detection rate of common respiratory pathogens was lower (P<0.05). Except for the increase in the detection rate of PIV1 and CP, the infection rate of other pathogens had almost decreased. CONCLUSION: The prevention and control measures for the COVID-19 pandemic effectively changed the epidemiological features of common respiratory tract infectious diseases in pediatric children.