Shanda Anderson, LPN at the Benedictine Living Community of Duluth said any facial covering is going to provide some protection—including bandanas, scarves, cloth masks and surgical masks. But ultimately, Anderson said a surgical or N-95 masks will provide the most protection.

According to Anderson, it is essential that masks cover your nose and your mouth fully.

“Really when you do apply it, make sure it’s nice and secure and you do really have to make sure you pinch it down to your nose and kind of run it up against your face and that’s going to help secure it. Also, making sure it is secured at the base is important as well,” Anderson said.

Anderson provided a number of helpful tips for wearing masks. These are:

• Always wash your hands before touching your mask.
• When putting your mask on and taking your mask off, use the straps of the mask to avoid getting germs on the mouth piece.
• Swap or wash your mask daily.
• Never share masks, even if they are washed.
•  For those who wear glasses or sunglasses, move your mask up a little higher on your face and put your glasses on over it to prevent air from getting in your glasses and fogging them up.
• When storing your mask, put it on a clean surface or in a designated bag.

When storing your mask in a designated bag, Anderson also recommends labeling that bag.

“It really should be placed in a paper type bag and you should be labeling it front and back side so that you know which way to grab that mask,” Anderson said. “The outside should be the front and the inside should be the back, so you know where you are going to grab that and re-apply that.”

Some community members we spoke to said they found it helpful to have more than one mask handy to be prepared at all times. One community member added that he found it helpful to have more than one mask for not only himself, but also his children.

Community members also told us some masks that tie around the head rather than around the ears can be more comfortable, but ear guards can also help with comfort.

Additionally, some said certain fabrics of homemade masks can be cooler than others temperature-wise.

For anyone who still needs a mask, they can be bought online, in some stores or they can also be handmade.

Some organizations, including the NAACP, has also been distributing masks to communities in need for free. 

More information about wearing masks can be found on the Minnesota Department of Health's Website.

To read the original story and see related reporting, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website.  https://www.wdio.com/duluth-minnesota-news/questions-minnesota-mask-mandate/5804256/?cat=10335