I do not know how south korea managed to get as many test kits as they did, but Italy (and the rest of europe, the us, everyone except south korea and singapore

I do not know how south korea managed to get as many test kits as they did, but Italy (and the rest of europe, the us, everyone except south korea and singapore) simply do not have enough testkits to be able to copy them. So instead we have to limit the spread by telling people to work from home. Also Italy found out they were infected much later than south korea. people estimate the virus had been spreading for weeks when they did.