evidence: Patent application doesn’t show COVID test was developed in 2015 CLAIM: A COVID-19 test patent application is dated 2020 but was actually filed in 2015. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The patent application, for a system to determine if someone has a viral infection such as COVID-19, notes that a related provisional patent application was filed in 2015. But while the earlier provisional application is related to the technology in the 2020 application, it made no mention of COVID-19.