History Main / DefinitelyJustACold

* In the first season of ''WesternAimation/SouthPark'', a [[ZombieApocalypse Zombie Outbreak]] is mistaken for a nasty case of Pink Eye by most residents, long after the truth should have been blindingly obvious.

* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'''s final season, the Founders contract a debilitating disease that affects only them. Odo, who had joined with the disease-ridden Head Founder, kept the fact that the disease was progressing rapidly a secret for several episodes. Bashir synthesizes a cure for the disease, disobeying orders to do so (because it could fall into the Founders' hands). [[spoiler:Ironically, it was the friendly offer of this cure to the Founders that ended the Dominion War.]]

* In ''Animation/LeafieAHenIntoTheWild'' Leafie starts exhibiting signs of illness when her son is a teenager. It starts with a sneeze but she ignores it. Hens are not meant to live in marshes. [[spoiler:Leafie dies by a HeroicSacrifice rather than by being eaten]].

* Asa from ''VisualNovel/{{Shuffle}}'', who denies there's a problem even as she's intermittently losing consciousness in the hospital. She can easily cure herself with a simple spell, but she ''doesn't want to hurt her mom's feelings''.

* Zigzagged in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries''. The illness that Genie gets ''is'' DefinitelyJustACold, but the problem is, when genies get colds, [[PowerIncontinence they can't control their magic]]. ''Big'' problem. So while Jasmine has to watch over a sick genie whose magic threatens to level the city (and in one scene, launches about ten {{Baleful Polymorph}}s at her in a row in a fit of sneezing) Aladdin has to find a gemstone that can cure in a forbidden temple guarded by a divine, golden guardian, without Genie's help. (Fortunately, the guardian [[RiddlingSphinx prefers brainteasers to physical fighting]].)

* Happens in ''[[TraumaCenter Trauma Team]]'' during a Diagnosis mission. Joshua tries to claim nothing is wrong with him. The nurse is not fooled. Neither is Gabe. [[spoiler: Much to Gabe's dismay, he has Werner's Syndrome.]]
** Also happens in an earlier Diagnosis. Jacob Tillman constantly claims nothing is wrong with him. Unlike Joshua, who eventually admits he's not well, he fights you to the end, claiming that nothing is wrong. Turns out, [[spoiler: he has a serious heart condition.]]

* At the end of ''{{Persona 3}}'', the gameplay notes that the main character is very tired. [[spoiler: He dies a couple of days later.]]

* In ''Arrow's Fall'' of the ''HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, Herald Dirk claims his respiratory symptoms are this, after weeks of self-destructive behavior including [[DrowningMySorrows drinking heavily]], standing hopelessly outside in the rain, and generally being miserable. He does this for two reasons: he's pining with unrequited love for Herald Talia, whom he mistakenly believes to be in a LoveTriangle with his best friend, Kris; and he's trying to cope with the tragic death of a trainee who was under his instruction. The fact that the person who is most suited to help him sort out this mess is [[TheEmpath Talia]], the person he least wants to face in person, compounds the problem, which lasts until he collapses... from pneumonia. The Healers who attend him as he recovers spare no effort in telling him what an idiot he was being.

This may be used for one or more {{Sick Episode}}s. This may develop into either a SoapOperaDisease or an IncurableCoughOfDeath. If caused by contact with the bad guys, it may be AllergicToEvil. Often used as an excuse by a ZombieInfectee in denial. Opposite of MistakenForDying.

* Zigzagged in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries''. The illness that Genie gets ''is'' DefinitelyJustACold, but the problem is, when genies get colds, [[PowerIncontinence they can't control their magic]]. ''Big'' problem. So while Jasmine has to watch over a sick genie who's magic threatens to level the city (and in one scene, launches about ten {{Baleful Polymorph}}s at her in a row in a fit of sneezing) Aladdin has to find a gemstone that can cure in a forbidden temple guarded by a divine, golden guardian, without Genie's help. (Fortunately, the guardian [[RiddlingSphinx prefers brainteasers to physical fighting]].)

* Zigzagged in one episode of the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' series. The illness that Genie gets ''is'' DefinitelyJustACold, but the problem is, when genies get colds, [[PowerIncontinence they can't control their magic]]. ''Big'' problem. So while Jasmine has to watch over a sick genie who's magic threatens to level the city (and in one scene, launches about ten {{Baleful Polymorph}}s at her in a row in a fit of sneezing) Aladdin has to find a gemstone that can cure in a forbidden temple guarded by a divine, golden guardian, without Genie's help. (Fortunately, the guardian [[RiddlingSphinx prefers brainteasers to physical fighting]].)

* In the ''{{Community}}'' episode "Epidemiology", a number of guests at the college's Halloween party come down with a mystery ailment whose symptoms include fever and stomachaches. Rich, a doctor, claims the symptoms point to food poisoning which the dean told him to rule out. Then, Star-Burns enters the quarantine area and is grabbed and bitten by the infected Pierce who has a bloodthirsty look on his face. Rich then rules out food poisoning.

* There are people who react this way to being ill, and of course most of the time they are right. However once you get past a certain age you really need to be a little more careful because eventually something will find you as your immune system weakens with age.
* Sometimes one of the early symptoms of a heart attack is the heart pumping a little more sluggishly. Blood pools in the lower extremities applying pressure to the intestines. This makes people think they simply have to use the toilet - many heart attack victims are found on the toilet because of this, and if you've ever wondered why hospitals put emergency pulls next to toilets, now you know.
* A month prior to his death from AIDS, Music/EazyE admitted himself to the hospital for what he suspected was a case of asthma. He soon learned he had been living with the aforementioned disease.

* ''Film/{{District 9}}'': So, you or a coworker for a multinational corporation tasked with monitoring aliens were exposed to an unknown black substance in possession of said aliens, which has caused you to: drip black from your nose, vomit black, drop fingernails, and look like you're suffering acute pneumonia. Do you A. Report your condition and have the original substance examined, B. Take a sick day to sort it out yourself, or C. Nothing at all? The answer, of course, is C. Of course, one must remember that, at the time, said infectee was trying his best to make a good impression after a recent promotion. He refuses treatment so as not to look weak or incompetent to his superiors.

* In ''Film/{{Slither}}'', the increasingly deforming marks, welts and swelling caused by infection by the alien worms are invariably "bug bites". Even when the bearers of said bug bites are shambling around like zombies, eating dead neighbors, or turning into amorphous tentacle monsters.

* In ''Literature/DeepLove'' [[spoiler:-Ayu-]] believes it's a fever when it clearly isn't. [[spoiler:It's AIDS.]]

-> ''The first three "symptoms you should not ignore" were: rectal bleeding; loss of height; and sudden blindness! ''Who ignores sudden blindness?'' Who sits in the office at lunchtime going "Oh, who turned out the lights? Oh, no, I can't see a thing, it's awful, I'm no use to anyone today. I'll answer phones, that's all I can do, that's all I'll be good for today. Oh, don't make a fuss, don't make a fuss, don't make a fuss."''

* Parodied in ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' with a increasingly ill looking man with a severe cough who insists it's just that. Until one day his love interest shows up at the train station to meet him and he's not there. Then he shows up looking perfectly fine.

Actually, the more obvious it's not a normal illness, the less likely they'll mention it. Even if your cast includes some of the most helpful doctors or mind readers, the character won't bring it up for quite a few episodes in a row, constantly making the excuse they're just a bit under the weather. This manages to convince their [[IdiotBall unusually thick friends.]]

* Asa from ''VisualNovel/{{Shuffle}}'', who denies there's a problem even as she's intermittently losing consciousness in the hospital. She can easily cure herself with a simple spell, but she ''doesn't want to hurt her mom's feelings.''

* In ''Literature/DeepLove'' [[spoiler:-Ayu-]] believes it's a fever when it clearly isn't. [[spoiler: It's [=AIDs=].]]

* In ''Film/CabinFever'', Marcy discovers some tender red marks on her back while washing her face. [[AsYouKnow There's a flesh eating disease going around, by the way.]] But Marcy instead seems to believe these marks came from her friend Paul fondling her too vigorously when they recently made love, and even chastises him for this. To add injury to insult, Marcy had (unbeknownst to either of them) just infected Paul with the deadly disease, because she insisted they [[ButWeUsedACondom didn't need a condom]] because [[BlatantLies she claimed she was healthy.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon Conquest}}'' has Hanbei use a similar excuse on Hideyoshi when asked why he's coughing up a storm. Kanbei doesn't buy it and for good reasons. His real life counterpart was diagnosed with tuberculosis and died from it.

* Asa from ''{{Shuffle}}'', who denies there's a problem even as she's intermittently losing consciousness in the hospital. She can easily cure herself with a simple spell, but she ''doesn't want to hurt her mom's feelings.''

* Watanuki in ''XxxHolic'', when his friendship with the ghost woman is making him extremely ill, to the point of coughing up blood, insists that it is "just a cold"--even when Doumeki repeatedly asks him if he's sure his symptoms don't have to do with "spirits and stuff."
* In ''DeepLove'' [[spoiler:-Ayu-]] believes it's a fever when it clearly isn't. [[spoiler: It's [=AIDs=].]]

* Hanna of ''HannaIsNotABoysName'' has vomited blood, become visibly weak and even passed out cold on his job and still insists he's fine.
* Alan of ''TheDreamer'' has an ominous cough, and has sweat on his brow, but insists that he's fine.

* ''FanFic/RoyalBusiness'': Spike sees that Pinkie Pie is looking ill. It's actually the long-term effects of being wounded by Red Haze the Dragon in ''FanFic/Dragonshyness''.

* ''FanFic/RoyalBusiness'': Spike sees that Pinkie Pie is looking ill. It's actually the long-term effects of being wounded by Red Haze the Dragon in ''FanFic/Fluttershyness''.

* In ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'', a scientist who works with viruses assumes this, much to the world's detriment.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* There are people who react this way to being ill, and of course most of the time they are right. However once you get past a certain age you really need to be a little more careful because eventually something will find you as your immune system weakens with age.
* Sometimes one of the early symptoms of a heart attack is the heart pumping a little more sluggishly. Blood pools in the lower extremities applying pressure to the intestines. This makes people think they simply have to use the toilet - many heart attack victims are found on the toilet because of this, and if you've ever wondered why hospitals put emergency pulls next to toilets, now you know.
[[/folder]]