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Are all masks effective? Here's what health experts say

Gov. Ralph Northam's mandatory mask order goes into effect on Friday.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Starting Friday, if you want to go anywhere indoors and you’re in public, you’ll have to wear a mask.

Gov. Ralph Northam’s order requires everyone over 10 years old to wear a mask in public indoor spaces.

From the N-95 mask to those that are homemade, can they both protect you?

Dr. Joel Bundy, the Chief Quality and Safety Officer for Sentara Healthcare said yes.

“If there’s spread through the air, it can get into very small droplets but for most of us, if we’re coughing or sneezing, then the droplets are larger and for those droplets yes, wearing a mask does prevent the spread from the person who may actually have the virus or to the person who may receive the virus,” Dr. Bundy said.  “They’re very important, they do work.”

Dr. Bundy said if an asymtomatic person doesn’t wear a mask, it puts other people at risk. 

“Wearing a mask is a very important safety habit that we have to do in 2020. It’s something Dr. Bundy does, it’s something we all need to do. Not only to protect others around us that we may actually give the virus to if we don’t know we have it,” he said.

Bundy said in addition to wearing masks in public, we also need to continue hand-washing and maintaining at least six feet of social distance. 

They all work together in preventing further spread.

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