Mon, 03/08/2021 LAWRENCE — At first glance, the United States and Chile might not seem very similar. But despite their different cultures, languages and economies, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the countries similarly. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases from January to October 2020 shows an almost parallel evolution in both countries, with numbers in the U.S. being an order of magnitude higher than in Chile, but of comparable per capita values. New research from mass communications scholars at the University of Kansas found that similarities between the two countries extend beyond the evolution of the pandemic to include social unrest, knowledge about COVID-19, use and trust in sources of information, and trust in scientists and the government.