Doctors Are Idiots Too

Have you had a swab of your throat done? Did you gag?

The same saliva bathes the pharynx, tongue, and the rest of the mouth. Is there any reason to think that the germs causing a sore throat limit themselves to the deepest recess of the throat? They probably entered through the nose or mouth in the first place. So why should they not be present throughout the oropharyngeal cavity (and maybe even in the sinuses and eustacian tubes - they're less than an inch away).

Couldn't you just swab the oral cavity somewhere near the back without inciting a gag reflex and achieve the same result?

We think you can, and it would eliminate a lot of unpleasant memories for the kids, young and old (and the staff too, if the patient is induced to vomit) while providing the same information.