up your nose with a rubber hose

Reason # 58 not to come to the ER for your flu symptoms:

Other than sitting for hours in the waiting room, we will be doing a "flu swab".  That is, if we have any.  There is a shortage of flu swab culturettes.

So what is a flu test like?  You know when you accidentally get water up your knows, that kind of painful feeling?  That's kind of what getting a flu test is like.  The culturette is a long wire thing with a qtip type thing on the end.  We stick it into your nostril. It has to go in a ways to get the sample.  Its not fun.

So don't come if you don't want us cranking something up your nostril