This coming March will mark four years since the Federal Council placed our country in lockdown. Various other measures followed until Switzerland returned from the special situation to the normal situation at the beginning of April 2022.
One of the consequences of the numerous hygiene measures: not only infections with the coronavirus, but also all other infections fell sharply. But that time is over. As a study published in the journal “The Lancet Microbe” shows, so-called mycoplasmas – an “atypical” bacterium – are currently becoming increasingly common.
Dr. Patrick Meyer Sauthor is an infectiologist at the Zurich Children’s Hospital and leader of the study. He answered the most important questions for us.
What are mycoplasmas?
Patrick Meyer Sauthor: It has long been known that mycoplasmas are one of the most common bacterial causes of pneumonia in children. However, in the vast majority of cases, hospitalization is not necessary; As a hospital we don’t even notice these diseases; GPs do an excellent job of this. This is also the case with the current increase. Many patients can be treated on an outpatient basis.
Are adults also affected?
Mycoplasma is more common in children than in adults, but can also be affected. We are also currently registering many infections among adults.
What are the symptoms of a mycoplasma infection?
Mycoplasma is generally not an infection in which a child becomes seriously ill within a few days and requires immediate hospitalization. The complaints last for days; you feel a bit unwell, cough and possibly have a fever. In many cases, those affected recover spontaneously. However, it may also be the case that a sick person has to go to the hospital. However, it is not a fulminant (sudden, rapid, serious, ed.) course of the disease.
To what extent did the Corona measures ensure that this pathogen did not occur again for a long time?
Due to the Corona measures, almost all pathogens have disappeared. Some came back earlier, for example the RS virus or last winter the increase in group A streptococci, which can cause scarlet fever or angina pectoris. The mycoplasmas are very demanding in terms of growth and reproduce much more slowly, transmission requires more intensive contact than with other pathogens and one cough is hardly enough. That is probably why the mycoplasma has only now returned.
Why do the Corona measures play such a relevant role? For example, in Switzerland they were much less pronounced than in China?
But it was still enough to suppress all these pathogens. The greatest influence was probably the wearing of respiratory masks, which was also carried out consistently in Switzerland for a relatively long time. There are also other hygiene measures such as washing hands, keeping distance, etc.
Are there other pathogens that are currently more common? Or why is the focus now so strongly on mycoplasmas?
The fact that mycoplasma is currently taking center stage is entirely down to timing. Diseases such as pneumonia are becoming increasingly common these days. We found that mycoplasma infections have noticeably increased since the end of summer/beginning of autumn. Last year this was already the case with group A streptococci. Compared to mycoplasma, the disease was much more severe and could be life-threatening. However, severe cases of mycoplasma are extremely rare.
Is it possible that in three months no one will say a word about mycoplasma?
Maybe the media, for us doctors in hospitals and practices they are always a problem. It is a common and relevant infectious disease in children and adults. For example, next summer we will start a study in which we will analyze whether antibiotics are necessary at all in mild cases of such infections.
What is the geographical distribution of the cases?
In Asia, infections caused by mycoplasma have always increased. But we don’t understand why this is the case. As for the current cluster in China, these are often individual reports from authorities and doctors reporting mycoplasma lung diseases. Unfortunately, China is not included in our monitoring. That is why I cannot say anything about China myself, that would be speculation.
Do we now need increased protection against infections, as we know from Corona?
As usual in winter, general hygiene measures such as washing your hands regularly, keeping your distance and staying home if you feel unwell are necessary. But that’s all you need. Mycoplasmas cannot be compared to the COVID pandemic in terms of infection and dynamics. No one knows what will happen next. But there is no reason to panic.
source: watson
I’m Maxine Reitz, a journalist and news writer at 24 Instant News. I specialize in health-related topics and have written hundreds of articles on the subject. My work has been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Healthline. As an experienced professional in the industry, I have consistently demonstrated an ability to develop compelling stories that engage readers.
