In January 2024 the Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) reported on a study in Psychological Science that reveals that “up to 75% of adults” have concealed an infectious disease from those around them to attend work, travel, or social events. Considering that “people sick with infectious illnesses face negative social outcomes”, the researchers investigated “prevalence and predictors of infection concealment” from adult samples of US university students, health-care employees, and online crowdsourced workers.
Infections in our midst
AAAS’ EurekaAlert describes how, of the 4,110 participants, 75% admitted that they had either hidden an infectious illness from others at least once or would consider doing so in the future. Participants reported conducting activities like boarding planes or going on dates. Notably, more than 61% of healthcare workers who were engaged in the study revealed that they had concealed an infectious illness, raising questions about the expectations or culture of healthcare work.
Dr Wilson N. Merrell, one of the study authors, commented that the team identified a difference between how people believe they would behave when ill and their actual behaviour.
“Healthy people forecasted that they would be unlikely to hide harmful illnesses – those that spread easily and have severe symptoms – but actively sick people reported high levels of concealment regardless of how harmful their illness was to others.”
Dr Merrell infers that “sick people and healthy people evaluate the consequences of concealment in different ways”, with the former being “relatively insensitive to how spreadable and severe their illness may be for others”.
Did COVID-19 change how we perceive illness?
Dr Merrell also suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced participants’ perception of concealing illnesses. This possibility paves the way for future research into how ecological factors, like pandemics, and medical advances, like vaccines, inform disease-related behaviour. In the meantime, these results have “significant” public health implications.
“After all, people tend to react negatively to, find less attractive, and steer clear of people who are sick with infectious illness. It therefore makes sense that we may take steps to cover up our sickness in social situations. This suggests that solutions to the problem of disease concealment may need to rely on more than just individual good will.”
How do you think you might fit into these results; have you concealed illness in the past or might you in the future? How does this information shape public health approaches, particularly in the light of the pandemic and future threats? For more on public health policy, infectious disease control, and vaccination as a strategy, join us at the Congress in April or subscribe to our newsletters.
