The swab for Covid goes in the posterior pharynx...waaay down deep. It tickles and annoys the top part of the back of your throat for the 10 seconds and the body's natural reaction is to try to sneeze, cough it out. They don't go deep enough to cause a gag reflex. I would take a million Covid swabs over one NG tube any day (and I have had many of the dreaded nose hoses).