Mask mandates may not quite be the law of the land as they were at times, but health officials still recommend strapping them on, particularly as the omicron variant's heightened transmissibility makes headlines.

"Personally, I think it's the same situation, the virus has not fundamentally changed," Dr. Christelle Ilboudo, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with MU Health Care, said.

But that increase in contagion means some masks are better than others, as the CDC anticipates updating its masking guidance in the coming days.

"That's what happens when researchers do new research, they find new information, and they change the guidance," Sara Humm, a public information specialist with the Columbia/Boone County Health Department, said.

N95 masks appear to be most durable, according to recent data, particularly more so than surgical masks or cloth masks. Still, Dr. Ilboudo said even a cloth mask is better than no mask.

"Any mask is no better than any mask at all," she said, "because again, the idea is to keep my secretions to myself."

The CDC cites more than a dozen studies that compare spread of infections in mask wearing versus non-mask-wearing communities, but you can also get a rough estimate on your mask effectiveness at home.

A simple and family-friendly method is by using the so-called "candle test." To conduct the candle test, you'll need masks, a candle, a lighter, and a book or two.

First, light a candle, and keep it about six inches away from the edge of a table. Put on a face mask, and, without getting too close, lean in a few inches away from the candle.

While wearing your face mask, conduct a few simple steps that involve speaking or singing into the candle. For example, the CDC exercise recommends reading a passage from a book or singing a quick song, like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" into the candle.

Finally, try directly blowing the candle out while wearing the mask.

When a KRCG 13 reporter tried these out, their KN95 mask appeared most durable, particularly in trying to blow out the candle.

"It could be looked at as a good, better, best," Humm said, relating to different styles of masks.

But before you throw out those cloth masks, Dr. Ilboudo said they can still serve functionally by wearing two or more at once.

"How good is the mask, so if it's a mask that droplets can fly through, then they're not helpful," she said. "Hence the multiple layers if you're wearing a cloth mask because your droplets are not as likely to travel through those layers."