[zw7]

> if every time you have a cold, you get antibiotics and they make you feel better, it is placebo.

Not necessarily. Azithromycin, a common antibiotic used for upper respiratory infections, has anti-inflammatory effects separate from it's antibacterial effects[1]. So it may make patients feel better even if they have a viral infection. Thus perpetuating the patient's belief that they "needed" antibiotics.

[1]: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15590715/