I've debated whether or not to post this, and if Ox deems it inappropriate or off topic and zaps it, I understand. I had COVID in early August. I'm a 38 year old guy with none of the usual "risk factors" mentioned. Not obese, not diabetic, no major health problems, never been to a hospital as a patient, etc. It started out benign enough, just an annoyance really. I should add that the first symptom I developed was a complete lack of appetite, so from day 1 I just couldn't eat. Around day 6 it took a dramatic left turn and I developed the "COVID Pneumonia." On day 8 I went to one of the local hospital's ER because I felt like things were just trending the wrong way. They gave me a bag of fluids (for some reason, nobody ever told me I was dehydrated and I had been drinking plenty of Gatorade," did an x-ray and confirmed pneumonia, and then sent me home, and gave me the helpful advice of "Don't come back unless you crater." Actual quote from the "doctor." Later that day, feeling rather unsatisfied by my ER experience and still feeling like I needed to "do something" to change the trajectory of the disease, I went to an Urgent Care that was recommended to me by somebody else. They too did an x-ray, confirmed COVID pneumonia, and prescribed prednisone, azithromycin, and an albuterol inhaler. The inhaler was of no use because I couldn't really inhale deeply enough for it to do anything. 3 days later I went back to the ER after being so weak that I nearly collapsed just trying to take a shower, and this time I was contemplating the fact that I may not be able to win the battle. Fortunately, this time they took me back to a room, put me on oxygen (which was like receiving manna from heaven), gave me more fluids, took bloodwork, and most importantly, sent me home with dexamethasone. Within 12 hours of taking that first dexamethasone pill I could feel my lungs improving and I was able to breath easier and deeper. The improvement was dramatic to say the least. 4 days later I was back at work. In all I lost over 25lbs and for the next several weeks I was easily exhausted but fortunately today, everything's fine. So I say all of that to establish that I earned my COVID merit badge.
Having said that, I was not vaccinated. I felt the lack of long term safety and efficacy data (and by definition, there is none, these didn't exist before a year or so ago) meant that I was happy to let other people be a part of the clinical trial and not me. If I had it to do all over again, I still wouldn't have taken it. I personally know people who are "fully vaxxed" who have contracted COVID anyway, some of them have ended up hospitalized in as bad a shape as I was, and a couple of them sadly died. And since I have natural immunity, a thing that for some reason we're supposed to pretend doesn't exist now, I won't be taking the vaccine as its at best pointless.
My position is if you want to take a COVID vaccine, have at it. If you don't want to, more power to you. I believe it is morally and ethically wrong to force anyone to do it, whether its an employer or a government. I suppose and admire these coaches.
I should also mention that my faith in "medicine" has been deeply shaken by this experience. We are not nearly as far removed from medievalism as most people want to believe.