Poll: What would Americans do rather than be sick over the holidays?

NEW YORK -- Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) do not  believe coughing is an indicator of sickness. In fact, there are more Americans who are inclined to believe that ghosts (47%) and aliens (43%) are real than there are Americans who acknowledge that a cough is a harbinger of a cold or flu, according to a recent Harris Poll commissioned by Pfizer's Robitussin brand.



Yet, almost all Americans (93%) feel having a nagging cough is more annoying than having a sick child (48%), doing household chores (36%) or getting an oil change (30%). And nearly half of Americans (48%) report having a cough in a crowded place makes them feel self-conscience. When others cough, nearly half nearby (46%) feel anxious about getting sick and 26% feel annoyed.



And no-one wants to get sick during the holiday. Almost four in 10 Americans (39%) would rather shop in crowded stores and nearly one quarter would rather be in the middle seat for a cross country flight (24%) than be sick during the holidays. And even as nearly 23% of Americans fear getting sick, one-third of Americans (33%) would still attend holiday celebrations even if they had sick symptoms.

The survey was conducted online within the United States among 2,025 adults over the age of 18.