Maybe
Some people are just contrarians who refuse or rebel against anything that's popular or mainstream
The article says as much "specialist in 18th-century music who tends to distrust the trends of the masses"
If 18th century music or cellos became the new "it" thing in Italy, he wouldn't celebrate it, he'd probably turn his nose up, maybe even give it up, or rage that he was into it before anyone else was
If 99% believe, accept, think, do X some will always be in that 1%
Is your coworkers wife now pro-vax after her ordeal or is she still with him?