[gentryb]

There are various types of PCR tests - I suspect you are referring to a Nasopharyngeal swab - which goes from tip of the nose to base of the ear (and it much smaller than a long Q-Tip) vs a nasal swab that usually gets both nostrils and doesn't go in nearly so far.

I've personally done Nasopharyngeal swabbing in a drive-thru. I will be supervising self-swabbing at a University starting tomorrow. They are very different things. One is a Q-Tip that only gets inserted into the nasal cavity. The tickle-your-brain swab is a different thing entirely. It requires training to do properly (enters approximately 90 degrees to your face) and while I learned how it feels from both sides, I can't imagine someone being asked to self-administer a Nasopharyngeal swab.