LOUISVILLE, Ky. — According to the University of Washington, wearing a face mask could save as many as 33,000 lives.

Medical professionals want to clear up misinformation you may have heard about wearing one.

“Wearing a mask under your nose still causes respiratory droplets of this virus. It can still be spread from your nose and if we are sneezing or coughing. We are still likely to spread those droplets from our nose so a mask is effective if we covering both our nose and our mouth. That way it helps reduce the spread of those germs and those virus droplets,” Dr. Monalisa Tailor said. 

Health experts also want to remind people to wash non-disposable masks and maybe even have a few so they can rotate.

"We are interacting folks in multiple different places and we are encountering germs in all these different places, so washing it by hand could be a good way to do it. I’ve done this one with some water and laundry detergent or bleach. You can also throw it in the wash if you have a cotton mask just throw it in your washer and wash them on a regular basis because that’s another really good way we have to stop the spread of COVID-19," Dr. Tailor said. 

And when kids return to school in the fall, they will spend a lot of time wearing masks.

But there is something parents can do to make the experience more enjoyable.

"If you can find a mask for your child or make a mask for your child that they appreciate or shares their favorite character they are probably going to be more likely to wear it. I want to show it off you know I like Minnie Mouse or Anna and Elsa or Papa Troll or whoever so it would be a good option. To find a character your child enjoys and let them show off their favorite character by wearing that mask," Dr. Tailor said. 

In addition to wearing a mask, medical experts say it's also important to practice social distancing.