Threatening physical harm or violence however is a crime. When you threaten to or perform an act of physical violence, the victim can file assault or battery ch

Threatening physical harm or violence however is a crime. When you threaten to or perform an act of physical violence, the victim can file assault or battery charges against you. Coughing on someone with intentional malice as a threat is assault, that's just common sense. It always has been to some degree, but now that you could conceivably kill a person and their entire group of friends and family with a cough, it carries a bit more weight.