In a slight departure from Sermo’s dive into physicians thoughts on COVID this year, Sermo conducted its first Holiday Survey tapping into 2,591 Sermo physicians across 26 countries to gather their opinions on the most pressing scientific and medical questions surrounding Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the Holidays and New Year’s traditions. Sermo conducted the survey of their physician community in November 2021.
Below are highlights, followed by the full survey questions and results.
32% of physicians think magic is the likely cause of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’s nose being so bright, while 15% think it’s likely highly vascularized nasal mucosa, or the common cold. 25% of physicians say if Santa Claus was their patient, their biggest health concerns regarding flying in an open sleigh at night would be hypothermia, followed by 17% who are concerned about high altitude cerebral edema 23% of physicians say if Santa Claus was their patient, their biggest concern for occupational hazard climbing down chimneys with heavy loads and consuming unusually large quantities of cookies and milk, is respiratory irritation from toxic atmospheric hazards
While... 19% of physicians are concerned about Santa’s indigestion and bloating from over-consumption of milk 35% of physicians believe the New Year’s tradition that provides the best outcomes is eating, drinking and being merry, followed by 16% counting backwards from 10 to 1, and kissing the person nearest you at the stroke of midnight 23% of physicians believe cooking, baking and sharing food is the most indispensable tradition to create the spirit of the holidays, followed by 19% who believe it’s holiday decorations.
Full Poll Results (n = 2,591)
- If Santa Claus was your patient, what would be your biggest health concerns regarding flying in an open sleigh at night across multiple time zones, possibly at high altitude and speed, with many barometric changes?
- 25% Hypothermia
- 17% High altitude cerebral edema
- 14% Frostbite
- 14% Ear and sinus barotrauma
- 10% Brain and ocular trauma caused by G-force
- 10% Hallucinations caused by high altitudes
- 10% Acute jetlag
- If Santa Claus was your patient, what would be your biggest concern for occupational health hazards stemming from climbing down multiple chimneys with heavy gifts, and consuming unusually large quantities of milk, cookies or pies in a short period of time?
- 23% Respiratory irritation from toxic atmospheric hazards
- 19% Indigestion, bloating, from over-consumption of milk
- 15% Dermal abrasions
- 13% Shoulder dislocation
- 12% Compression trauma
- 11% Acid reflux
- 7% Postprandial hypoglycemia
- In your opinion, which of the following traditions is most indispensable to create the spirit of the holidays you celebrate?
- 23% Cooking, baking, and sharing food
- 19% Holiday decorations
- 17% Holiday music / singing
- 14% Parties and gatherings
- 14% Exchanging gifts
- 10% Lighting candles
- In your opinion, what do you think is the likely cause of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s nose being so bright?
- 32% Magic
- 15% Common cold
- 15% Highly vascularized nasal mucosa
- 13% Allergies
- 11% Rosacea
- 11% Bioluminescence
- Many cultures have different traditions for New Year’s celebrations. In your opinion, which provides the best outcome?
- 35% Eating, drinking and being merry
- 16% Counting backwards from 10 to 1
- 16% Kissing the person nearest to you at the stroke of midnight
- 15% Eating a special food, such as deep-fried dough, cakes or noodles, grapes, or peas
- 10% Lighting many fireworks
- 5% Wearing red underwear
- 3% Having a dark-haired man be the first person to set foot across your doorway
Media Contact: Alexander Petti pr@sermo.com
About Sermo
Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com.
