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How do you celebrate freedom from a deadly virus? With the Kerala government declaring Kozhikode and Malappuram free of the Nipah virus after having contained its spread, a group of musicians and filmmakers decided to make a video titled Bye Bye Nipah.

The composer of the song, Sai Balan told the American news organisation National Public Radio: “It was a labour of love. It’s our way of saying that the anguish and suffering is behind us now.”

“The song was an effort to reclaim and celebrate our public spaces after the threat of the epidemic almost shut the city down in fear,” added A Shaji Kumar, who wrote the lyrics. “We wanted to honour the effort and sacrifice of our healthcare professionals as well.”

The districts of Kozhikode and Malappuram were the worst affected.