Research finds most people report hiding illnesses from those around them
BOSTON - A new analysis finds FOMO or "the fear of missing out" drives many people to conceal the fact that they're sick from others around them.
If your co-worker with the sniffles says, "It's just allergies", you should think twice before believing them. A team at the University of Michigan looked at data on more than 4,000 university students, health care employees, and online crowdsourced workers. They found that 75% reported hiding their illness from people around them, possibly putting those individuals in harm's way.
Reasons included wanting to attend social events like parties and not wanting to miss work. Researchers said people are choosing to put their own goals ahead of the safety of others which can have huge public-health consequences.