History Main / DefinitelyJustaCold

* ''ComicBook/WhenTheWindBlows'' (and its animated adaptation) is about an elderly British couple who survive a nuclear bombing. As they try to survive in the aftermath, they experience severe headaches, dizziness, vomiting and more, which they write off as [[StiffUpperLip being the result of shock and their changed living situation]], when they are actually dying from radiation poisoning.

* ''VideoGame/PotionPermit'': While Garret's family is fully aware of him being in a wheelchair after an accident, Garret refuses to accept that the injury is permanent and incurable. When the Chemist checks on him in his first Friendship Event, he tells them to tell his family that he's "fine", which they do despite knowing how grave his injury is. [[spoiler:In reality, Garret had long accepted his injury and [[KeepTheDisability refuses to be "cured"]], but he only plays along to Mercy's attempts to treat him so as not to hurt her feelings.]]

* In the ''Series/{{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. Though, funnily enough, [[spoiler:it technically ''was'' food poisoning, caused by infected taco meat the Dean bought from an army surplus store -- which, of course, is why he wanted that ruled out. It's just that the symptoms of ''this'' type of food poisoning -- implied to have been created intentionally as some sort of bioweapon -- are less "vomiting and diarrhea" and more "becoming a TechnicallyLivingZombie".]]
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': After Barbara is poisoned in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E1PlanetOfGiants "Planet of Giants"]], she initially attempts to write off her symptoms as some sort of minor illness.

->"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.'"

** In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "The Deadly Years", Kirk visits sick bay with some aches and pains that he attributes to "muscular strain". Bones scans him and tells him it's an advanced case of arthritis, which turns out to be the first sign of a RapidAging affliction.
** 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.]]
** Played with in that at least one character figures out how sick he is, but doesn't mention it because there is no cure and she knows that he prefers to keep such things private.

* ''[[VideoGame/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 Wermer's Syndrome.]]
** 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.]]
* Shion of ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' insists to the other characters that her fainting spells are just fatigue. [[spoiler: It's really symptoms of a condition that comes with coming into contact with U-DO, the same condition that her mother was afflicted with.]]

* In ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'', [[spoiler: Ultimate Astronaut [[HotBlooded Kaito Momota]] ''insists'' that he only has a cold after [[BloodFromTheMouth coughing up blood]] in front of nearly everyone, falsely theorizing that he must have coughed hard enough to cut his throat and bluffing [[RobotBuddy K1-B0]] on how probable that is for a human. Of course, that doesn't explain his movement being hampered enough that his attempt at cleaning [[MagnificentBastard Kokichi's]] clock was turned around on him...and [[SecretlyDying Kaito knows this perfectly well.]] Poor dear...]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''VideoGame/PotionPermit'': While Garret's family is fully aware of him being in a wheelchair after an accident, Garret refuses to accept that the injury is most likely permanent and incurable. When the Chemist checks on him in his first Friendship Event, he tells them to tell his family that he's "fine", which they do despite knowing how grave his injury is.

* ''VideoGame/PotionPermit'': While Garret's family is fully aware of him being in a wheelchair after an accident, Garret refuses to accept that the injury is most likely permanent and incurable. When the Chemist checks on him in his first Friendship Event, he tells them to tell his family that he's "fine", which they do despite knowing how grave is injury is.

* ''Manga/OokuTheInnerChambers'': Emmonosuke keeps getting headaches which he attributes to the stress of being Tsunayoshi's chief advisor and the intrigues that go with politics. [[spoiler: He dies of an aneurysm the day after he [[DeathBySex finally makes love]] [[DecemberDecemberRomance to Tsunayoshi.]]]]