Recent research found that people are more likely to pop a pill and go forward into their day instead of staying home when they feel ill. This phenomenon known as “disease concealment,” puts others at risk and is more common than you think, according to Study Finds.

Even more surprising is the fact that the study, conducted at the University of Michigan, found that the more severe the symptoms, the more people tend to hide their illness. Out of 4,110 participants, a whopping 75% reported hiding an infection from others at least once. The participants admitted that they boarded planes, went on dates, and engaged in other social interactions when they felt sick.

One particularly worrying fact is that 61% of healthcare workers surveyed in the study said they also concealed a serious illness.

“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,” said lead author Wilson N. Merrell, a doctoral candidate.

The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, concluded that concealment motives were mainly social, such as wanting to attend a party, or achievement oriented, such as completing a work assignment. There is also the stigma of being sick. In many societies illness is associated with weakness or moral failing, says Study Finds.

“Disease concealment appears to be a widely prevalent behavior by which concealers trade off risks to others in favor of their own goals, creating potentially important public-health consequences,” wrote the authors.

The study points out that healthy people and sick people view the consequences of concealment differently, says Merrell, “with sick people being relatively insensitive to how spreadable and severe their illness may be for others.”

We have seen first-hand how this attitude can be dangerous, especially in times of widespread infectious diseases across the globe. The study underscores the need to understand why people hide their illness and develop public health strategies to show individuals that disease concealment disrespects the health of others.

Staying home when you are ill may prevent someone with a compromised immune system or health issues from becoming severely sick, and it’s the right thing to do, said the study authors. But, unfortunately, it’s easier said than done.