As an ex-pat Yank in a country that has handled the whole situation better than most, I feel for my fellow Americans, I really do.

And while there are myriad factors about why Japan has been well below the global averages in cases per million and deaths per million, one rarely gets brought up and seems worth mentioning: stress.

The government, media and public health officials here have taken the situation seriously without resorting to doom-and-gloom fear mongering. As a result, there's just a lot less panic here and I believe our health care system too often undervalues the importance of mental health for bodily health.

Anyway, hang in there y'all. This, too, shall pass.