ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the distribution and epidemic characteristics of respiratory pathogens in children before and after COVID-19 epidemic in Lanzhou.Methods:Two hundred and eighty-six children hospitalized with acute upper respiratory tract infection in Central Hospital of Gansu Province and Gansu Maternal and Child Health Hospital from October to November of 2020 and October to November of 2021 were selected respectively as the research objects, and a retrospective analysis was made.IgM antibodies of nine pathogens, including influenza virus A(IVA), influenza virus B(IVB), parainfluenza virus(PIV), adenovirus(ADV), mycoplasma pneumoniae(MP), chlamydia pneumoniae(CP), respiratory syncytial virus(RSV), echovirus(ECHO)and coxsackie virus B(CVB), were detected, and the basic information and epidemic characteristics were statistically analyzed.Results:The total positive rates of IgM antibodies of nine pathogens before and after the epidemic in COVID-19 were 31.8%(91/286)and 5.9%(17/286)respectively, after the epidemic, the detection rates dropped significantly, and there was significant difference among them( χ2= 62.505, P<0.05); After the epidemic, the detection rates of ADV, MP and CVB were all lower than those before the epidemic, and there were significant differences among these groups( χ2= 39.281, 12.167, 10.155, all P<0.05). The positive detection rates in the age group of 1 month ~1 year, ~3 years, ~6 years and>6 years before the outbreak were 37.4%(37/99), 38.3%(36/94), 16.7%(12/72)and 28.6%(6/21)respectively, and there were significant differences among these groups( χ2=34.055, P<0.05); Among them, the detection rates of MP in the age group 1 month ~1 year, ~3 years, ~6 years and>6 years were 16.2%(6/37), 25.0%(9/36), 16.7%(2/12)and 100%(6/6)respectively, and there were significant differences among these groups( χ2=10.289, P<0.05); CVB was not detected in>6 years group, the positive detection rates of CVB were 16.2%(6/37), 22.2%(8/36)and 25.0%(3/12)in the age group of 1 month ~1 year, ~3 years, ~6 years respectively, and there were significant differences among these groups( χ2= 27.742, P< 0.05). After the epidemic, the positive detection rates of the patients in the age group of 1 month ~1 year, ~3 years, ~6 years and>6 years were 5.9%(4/68), 4.0%(3/75), 5.7%(6/106)and 10.8%(4/37), with no statistical significance( χ2=2.235, P>0.05); Among them, the positive rates of IVB were 25.0%(1/4), 33.3%(1/3)and 66.7%(4/6)in the age group of 1 month ~1 year, ~3 years, ~6 years respectively, and in the age group>6 years was not detected, and there were significant differences among these groups( χ2= 96.022, P< 0.05). The detection rates of mixed infection of pathogens before and after the epidemic were 5.6%(16/286)and 0.3%(1/286)respectively, with no statistical significance( χ2= 2.314, P>0.05). Conclusion:The distribution of common pathogens of acute upper respiratory tract infection among children in Lanzhou was different before and after COVID-19 epidemic.