When Eric Grunor contracted COVID-19 in January, he became so ill that he struggled to get off the couch. One night, he awoke at 3 a.m., winded, barely able to talk and so fatigued he could hardly lift his head.
“I woke my wife up and said, ‘You’ve got to take me to the ER,’” he said. “My wife thought she was going to be a widow.”
After three weeks of recovery at home, the 54-year-old Texas insurance broker’s experience is one few would want to endure twice. But he remains unvaccinated, putting him among a stubborn contingent of Americans who say they have natural immunity and don’t require shots — a belief that experts are divided on.
“I’m in the category of person who would least need the vaccine, at this point,” said Grunor. “To me, natural antibodies are better than any man-made antibodies.”