A 100-year-old man has asked for 101,000 likes after his 101st birthday party was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The alternative birthday request was made on Twitter by UN worker Mohamad Safa, who shared a picture of Owen, who is believed to be from the United States.

This family embraces social distancing to wish their 95-year-old grandmother a happy birthday:

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In the picture, a smiling Owen is holding a sign which reads: "Hello, I am Owen. I am turning 101 on March 31st.

"My party was canceled because of social distancing. Help me celebrate by getting 101k likes/comments."

Safa captioned the picture: "His 101st birthday party was canceled because of the impact of the Coronavirus. Please share and comment to help us make his upcoming birthday special. Please leave him a message here. Take 60 seconds and do it for Owen!"

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Thankfully, the good people of the internet did not let Owen down and instead of receiving a party, at the time of writing, he has received 133K likes at the time of writing and 11.5K well wishes from all over the world.

One Twitter user wrote: "Birthday FUN at 101. Dear Owen, you've witnessed sweeping innovations since you were born. Rotary phone to iPhone...Studebaker to Tesla...Flight infancy to Supersonic...and despite all the changes...it's love that remains the same...Birthday blessings!"

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A second added: "Happy birthday Owen! your birthday is always special and you'll still have a brilliant day."

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A third wrote: "Happy birthday Owen. Have a wonderful day, and here's to the next 100 years."

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Meanwhile, a fourth shared a picture of a woman who also turned 101 this month, writing: "Happy Birthday. This is Granny, she shares your birth month AND year."

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Owen's story is a reflection of the fact that many vulnerable elderly people are missing out on birthday parties and other celebrations because of social distancing.

The elderly and those with underlying health conditions are particularly at risk of the worst effects of the coronavirus.

However, there have been some remarkable stories of elderly people recovering from the deadly virus, such as this 95-year-old grandmother who became the oldest person to recover in Italy.

100-year-old man asks for 101,000 likes after 101st birthday party was canceled