With mask mandates seeming to become a thing of the past, many of us are still not ready to go without them in public.

While it’s true that masks work best when everyone has one on, the good news is that you will still benefit from wearing one even if nobody else is — especially if that mask is an N95 mask.

“For someone looking to reduce their own risk of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2, wearing a mask will do that,” said Dr. Scott Weisenberg, clinical associate professor, Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and director of the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program. “The higher the quality, the better it would work, and the N95 would be the most effective of the masks currently available.”