system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
When you are sick they tell you to cough up as much "infected" phlem as you can and get it out of your body, is coughing up and then swallowing it as effective?

There are many situations where it is not feasible or socially acceptable to get rid of the phlem you just coughed up so people just swallow it, is getting it out of your lungs and into your stomach as effective as out of your body? does it just get stuck in your throat again when you try to swallow? Also, I realize phlem might not be the right word but you all know what I mean.
gpt
Normal lung secretions are designed to end up in the stomach.    
They are tracked up through the bronchioles and bronchus by cilia (small rhythmically-flailing processes). They reach the oesophagus and are then swallowed. Any pathogens trapped in these mucous secretions are then destroyed in the highly acidic environment of the stomach.    
As long as there are no breaches in your GIT integrity you should be able to do the same with mucous containing a higher viral/bacterial load with little consequence. Acid plus a thick mucous wall protects you, and will effectively remove the "infected" phlegm from your body.