On Wednesday, October 4 in the U.S., the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will test its Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system. At 2:20 p.m. Eastern, people will receive a message on their mobile phones that reads, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” In addition to the message, your iPhone will vibrate and play “a special sound that’s similar to an alarm” even if your iPhone is on silent. The alert will appear in Spanish for users who set their devices for that language.
On Tuesday, the Kerala Health Department issued an alert after two deaths were reported due to fever in Kozhikode. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had confirmed that the Nipah virus caused the deaths.
These two deaths occurred at a private hospital in Kozhikode. Four people under treatment are relatives of the second deceased person. Their samples were sent for testing. Two tested positive, including a 9-year-old child and a 24-year-old relative. The 9-year-old child of the deceased is in ventilation at a private hospital.
A high-level meeting was chaired by Kerala Health Minister Veena George to review the situation. Kozhikode has experienced two previous Nipah virus outbreaks, one in 2018 and another in 2021. During the first outbreak in 2018, 23 cases were identified, with 17 people succumbing to this zoonotic virus.