'COVID syndrome' explained as three children 'rescued' after parents kept them locked inside home for 4 years

Warning: this article discusses themes which some readers may find distressing.

Three children are believed to have been held captive in their home by their parents for four years because their mom and dad have 'COVID syndrome'.

Eight-year-old twins and their 10-year-old sibling were rescued by Spanish police earlier this week after being kept inside since 2021.

The kids were said to be 'in terrible shape' when police officers arrived at the property. An investigator said that while they were not malnourished, they were dirty' and 'completely cut off from reality'.

When police turned up, apparently the parents — a 53-year-old man and 48-year-old woman — asked officers to put face masks on.

It turns out that the family were living under strict COVID rules, despite the fact that coronavirus restrictions in Spain were lifted in March 2022.

It's said that the parents have something called 'COVID syndrome', also known as COVID Anxiety Syndrome (CAS).

The home where the 3 children were being held by their parents (PABLO LORENZANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Symptoms of COVID Anxiety Syndrome (CAS)

According to VeryWellMind, CAS symptoms include compulsively checking for symptoms of COVID; avoidance of public places; obsessive cleaning; and other manipulative behaviors.

Other signs of CAS are having trouble thinking about anything other than COVID-19; if your anxiety starts interfering with your everyday life; if you isolate yourself when it's not necessary or you feel hopeless or bitter about the pandemic.

Symptoms may also present themselves in a physical context such as frequent headaches or stomach aches.

What causes CAS?

"Researchers suggest that, for some, isolation, fear of contracting COVID-19, and uncertainty throughout the pandemic may have pointed to the group of symptoms that make up CAS," says VeryWellMind.

The children were made to sleep in cots (Police handout)

It has also been suggested that those with a high level of neuroticism — a personality trait associated with negative emotions — may have a higher chance of developing CAS, as well as people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

What has the WHO said on mental health and COVID?

In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) found that the pandemic was responsible for a 25 percent increase in anxiety and depression across the globe in the first year.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said of this at the time: "The information we have now about the impact of COVID-19 on the world’s mental health is just the tip of the iceberg.

"This is a wake-up call to all countries to pay more attention to mental health and do a better job of supporting their populations’ mental health."

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.