Mycoplasma pneumoniae beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: where is it?

 Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a major bacterial cause of respiratory tract infection.1 We recently established a collaborative global network to assess the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) against COVID-19 on transmission of M. pneumoniae. Data collected through this network showed significantly reduced M. pneumoniae incidence in the first year after implementation of NPIs (1 April 2020–31 March 2021) compared with previous years (2017–2020) (1.69% vs 8.61%),2 as observed for other respiratory infections.3 Lifting of NPIs has led to resurgence of many respiratory pathogens.4,5 Here, we used this network to track M. pneumoniae in the second year after implementation of NPIs (1 April 2021–31 March 2022), during which NPIs were relaxed or discontinued.