Science & technology| Hear no evil
Rumours on social media could cause sick people to feel worse
They are powerful triggers of an inverse placebo effect
Illustration of a person holding their with the side effects of 5G displayed on the screen.
Illustration: George Wylesol
THE PLACEBO effect is a well-known example of the brain’s power over the body, allowing people who are poorly or in pain to improve if they are led to believe they are being treated. The opposite, however, is also possible: patients who believe that procedures will cause them to suffer ill effects can make themselves worse.