In order to help slow the spread of coronavirus, cloth face masks coverings have increasingly become part of our daily garb. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a face covering when you’re in crowded public places and now New York, Maryland and parts of California have already made them mandatory to wear or carry in places where social distancing isn’t possible, like the supermarket.

Note that wearing a nonmedical face mask doesn’t exempt you from physical and social distancing — you still need to behave as though you’re not wearing one. And also be aware that nonmedical masks may not prevent you from acquiring COVID-19, which is why other precautions are so important.