Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons User mcfarlandmo

We’re in the middle of cold and flu season, which begs the inevitable question: how many of you are traveling sick?

A recent survey indicates the answer: a lot.

The study, by the pharmaceutical publisher Merck Manuals, indicates that a majority of Americans believe they’re more likely to contract an illness while traveling than during their normal routines at home.

But here’s the interesting part: nearly one in three would not change their family’s travel plans if they knew they were exhibiting cold or flu-like symptoms.

The survey also revealed more than half (51 percent) have gone shopping while ill and nearly two in three (65 percent) confessed to going to work or school while sick.

Now add the rigors of traveling inside an enclosed aluminum cylinder (an airplane) or a floating steel structure (a cruise ship).

That means extra preparation when you travel.

Wash your hands before and after going to the bathroom, and wipe down surfaces on planes that you might be touching during the flight.

For more information about staying healthy on the road, check out:

• 15 Ways to Stay Healthy During Cold & Flu Season
• What You Need to Know When Traveling With a Cold
• Air Travel Health Risks—And How to Avoid Them

Keep reading for more travel tips.