Does a MacBook Pro need virus protection?

macOS already includes all the protection it requires from viruses and other malware. Products from those who claim to know more about protecting Macs more than the company that designed and built them ought to be treated with extreme suspicion, if not outright derision.

Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community expands on that subject.

No. Trust the OS and use some commons sense. 3rd party apps often interfere with the built-in protections in the OS.