With almost half of respondents saying they believe a sneeze travels eight feet or more, one might think you would be sick all the time. But a recent national survey of 1,017 U.S. adult men and women (age 18+) conducted by Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., maker of Zicam, found a majority of Americans polled surprisingly saw this cold and flu season as "about the same" (42%) or only "slightly worse" (21%) from last year, despite all the hype this past fall around H1N1. Consumers' biggest concern about getting the flu or a cold is feeling lousy (36%), followed by getting others sick (19%). And with 80 percent of people reporting that they either sneeze into their elbow or hand, most are doing what they can to keep others healthy.
The dire warnings and resulting heightened awareness about a potential, sweeping H1N1 flu pandemic, however, appear to have been key factors in helping Americans be better prepared this year. In fact, the Zicam Cold & Flu Report revealed that 95 percent of people said they took proactive steps to stay healthy and combat cold and flu, while only 5 percent reported doing nothing or "waiting it out."
"While this year's flu pandemic thankfully proved less severe than initially expected, it's important to remember that preparation and early trea™ent are the best defenses against the common cold, which can strike year round," noted Dr. Tim Tucker, Pharm.D.,FAPhA, and immediate past president of the American Pharmacists Association. "Unlike most cold medications that just mask symptoms, zinc products, such as Zicam Cold Remedy, can reduce the duration of your cold if taken within the first 24 to 48 hours after the onset of symptoms."
Some interesting cultural and demographic differences in how people respond to a cold, included: