
Inadequate testing for COVID-19 across the U.S. in the early stages of the pandemic has been blamed for allowing widespread transmission of the virus to occur, during a time when it potentially could have been contained without the need for extensive shutdowns.
In January 2020, German scientists developed the first diagnostic test for COVID-19. In early February 2020, the World Health Organization shipped about 250,000 tests to 159 laboratories around the world.