Student interest in this field soared since the pandemics start. Experts hope this is a turning point – CNN
The decision, McCaskill said, stemmed partly from the sudden heightened awareness about the importance of public health as the virus spread in the US.
"I started to see a lot more happening in the public health realm through news, media and it was everywhere, everything we were hearing," McCaskill told CNN. "I think that kind of helped me to make my decision."
But it's been the soaring interest in public health programs -- which before the pandemic saw a dip in applications -- that is particularly encouraging to some officials, who say the field, long underfunded and understaffed, is critical in helping tackle not just this virus, but other emergencies plaguing US communities.
"Gun control is a public health intervention. Adequate housing and education are public health interventions,...
