Yes, thinking about Thailand in particular, it's not always deny or ignore, it can be different medical practices.
About 4 years ago i was hospitalised in Issan for almost a month unable to breathe . QG may remember this from our other forum days.
no coughing, sneezing, phlegm etc etc, no flu symptoms at all... just unable to get oxygen in to the lungs. therefore, couldn't walk couldn't do anything. 2 stairs were like climbing Everest.
To my horror i was diagnosed with C.O.P.D. This is a long story, i may explain further in a post if anyone wants to know details... but to cut the story short eventually i recovered.
The point is though long after i had improved a English woman i knew...ex-nurse... got a chest infection., went to the local doctor who told her 'you have C.O.P.D" to which the nurse replied "bollocks i have! i've got a chest infection."
The Doctor then explained... "in Thailand we call any Bronchial disease except Pneumonia and asthma... C.O.P.D. It's a general catch-all name .
This was great for me- it explained the lack of symptoms i had, because i didn't have C.O.P.D at all, but...any of you issan residents who share land with hundreds of scrawny thai chickens, if you want to know the details just ask and i'll post the story..