True, but the absurd damage is exactly why it’s a terrible suggestion.
And on that note, Hypochondriac trait. All damage received is greatly exaggerated in the message log and you periodically receive messages indicating cold or flu but don’t actually get any of the effects of such. A small morale debuff may accompany each assumed illness.
Also, roughly 1/3 of all medicines found in the game may be placebos. There is no visible difference between placebos and real meds without high First-Aid skill or the MD trait.