An unvaccinated Alabama councilmember who opposed mask mandates and called vaccines a personal choice is battling COVID-19 pneumonia in hospital.
Decatur Councilman Hunter Pepper, 19, was hospitalized September 16 after suffering complications from the virus.
The politician who staunchly opposed mask mandates - calling them the ‘most government overreach in my 19 years on this earth - yesterday said ‘it feels terrible not to be able to breath.’
The teen who previously said he'd 'fight to the end' against mandatory face coverings is now fighting to breath.
Pepper shared his diagnosis on Facebook, where he said he was being treated at Decatur Morgan Hospital for difficulty breathing.
‘Well, it has finally happened to me,’ he said. ‘…Everything in me wants to tell myself it is something different but every way I look it’s “Covid this, Covid that” and it has terrified me and my family.
‘The media continues to report on Covid-19 and explains “Death” each time they do. That is honestly terrifying to me but I have faith in the lord. Maybe this will clear up soon and the symptoms of this sickness shall not progress as I can tell you, it feels terrible not to be able to breathe.’
Councilman Hunter Pepper, who has COVID-19, says 'it feels terrible not to be able to breath'
Pepper was elected to city council last year and made quick business of condemning mask mandates.
‘I believe the seatbelt thing should be your choice,’ Pepper said during an April 9 council vote to repeal the region’s face covering requirement.
‘It comes back to masks, I believe wearing a mask should be my choice.’
The 19-year-old who opposed mandatory mask mandates says he now has COVID pneumonia
Pepper, the youngest person elected to the local city council, also opposes mandatory vaccines.
He said in an earlier Facebook post that
