Under the influence
“YOU'VE got a virus” is one of the commonest and least helpful clichés that can emerge from the lips of a doctor. What makes it worse is that there is frequently no way of knowing for sure whether it is true. No way, that is, which can be administered quickly and easily in the surgery of a busy general practitioner.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Under the influence”
From the January 24th 1998 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Science & technology
Can you breathe stress away?
Scientists are only beginning to understand the links between the breath and the mind
The Economist’s science and technology internship
We invite applications for the 2025 Richard Casement internship
A better understanding of Huntington’s disease brings hope
Previous research seems to have misinterpreted what is going on
Is obesity a disease?
It wasn’t. But it is now
Volunteers with Down’s syndrome could help find Alzheimer’s drugs
Those with the syndrome have more of a protein implicated in dementia
Should you start lifting weights?
You’ll stay healthier for longer if you’re strong