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Comparing the character of nations is risky and imprecise. In the Age of Contagion, though, it offers a window into how the peoples of the world are coping.

Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore have handled the crisis relatively well. We expect that of people we see as highly disciplined, motivated and organized. Italy is reeling from the contagion. Gregarious, unruly, passionate, creative, independent – this is how we see Italians. It suggests why they were slow to respond.

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Which brings us to the United States and Canada. As Miss Christie used to say in third-grade geography class, let us compare and contrast.

In the United States, a country of 330 million, there were some 43,500 cases and 537 deaths as of early Tuesday. In New York City, the virus is surging. Parts of the country are in seclusion, others are not. There is no clear national strategy and no federal emergency. States are responding radically differently.