Actually tuberculosis was a major killer at that time too. The public didn't have access to medical care needed to treat the symptoms.

I found this interesting.



http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept...r/389/flu.html

I wonder how much of the population at that time could have already been weakened by undetected tuberculosis and therefore at a greater risk of complications?

Don't forget how primitive medicine was in 1918.