SILVER SPRING, Md. — This county of 1 million people right outside Washington just received new isolation rules, which are stricter on children under 5 than they are on older children and adults. This is despite massive evidence that children under 5 are safe from the virus and at less risk to spread the virus to others.

Children under age 5 who test positive or are otherwise suspected to have COVID will be forced to isolate at home for 10 days after symptom onset. Of course, 4-year-olds often have totally asymptomatic COVID, so the clock on the isolation period wouldn’t start ticking until the tot received a positive COVID test.