Do you ever wonder why so many businesses, schools, colleges and sports teams are so worried about the coronavirus?

It could be the threat of being sued if a customer gets the virus while patronizing a business, attending a ball game or living in a college dorm.

All over the country, lawyers are telling their clients to do as much as they can to prevent the spread of the virus on their property or among their employees. And officials with insurance companies are surely telling their customers with liability insurance that those policies will be in jeopardy if they don’t take serious precautions.

Higher education leaders in Oklahoma joined a nationwide chorus calling for Congress to protect schools from possible lawsuits.

They contend that colleges should not be held liable if students catch the disease while attending classes or other school functions

Campuses will have social distancing, masks and temperature screenings among the most likely measures, said Tulsa Community College President Leigh Goodson.

“But the only way to reduce the risk to zero,” Goodson said, “is for you to stay home, everyone you live with to stay home and never have contact with anyone.”

A U.S. Senate committee held a hearing to consider protecting schools from COVID lawsuits as well as providing additional funds to help campuses with virus-related expenses.

They shouldn’t be shielded from carelessness but Congress should protect business and schools from needless litigation.