A Message On COVID-19 In Pic Shared By Shashi Tharoor. Do You See It?

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took to Twitter on Monday to share a picture with a hidden message on coronavirus. Mr Tharoor shared an image of a digitally-created bookshelf with books arranged in such a way that the titles, when read together, reveal a message on coronavirus awareness and the importance of social distancing. 

The picture was created by digital-printmaker Phil Shaw and had gone viral in April this year. "Shelf isolation 2 - the story so far..." wrote the UK-born artist while sharing the image on Instagram at the beginning of the pandemic. 

Hailing the message contained in it as "brilliant", Mr Tharoor wrote: "Brilliant message from a clever librarian who arranged these books so their titles impart meaningful advice. Read from top left to bottom right in order! #covid19"

Brilliant message from a clever librarian who arranged these books so their titles impart meaningful advice. Read from top left to bottom right in order! #covid19 pic.twitter.com/Zt6j5hNy5H

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 20, 2020

The image has collected nearly 17,000 'likes' since being shared on the microblogging platform by Mr Tharoor.

The book titles, when read together, reveal the message: "The English patient had caught it on the beach. I should have stayed at home she said. Now she was in quarantine in the dark house of splendid isolation.

"Still hope springs eternal with a little bit of luck and personal hygiene. The corona book of horror stories must end soon. Always remember clean hands save lives and when in doubt don't go out!"

There have been more than 14.7 million reported cases of the novel coronavirus worldwide since the virus emerged late last year. India has over 11.55 lakh COVID-19 cases so far, with 28,084 deaths linked to the virus. Public health organisations recommend social distancing as an effective way to slow the spread of the highly infectious virus.

According to the World Health Organization, social distancing involves maintaining a distance of 3 to 6 feet from anyone who is coughing or sneezing, as the highly infectious novel coronavirus spreads through droplets. "When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease," the organisation explains on its website.