I posted the
previous installment when I needed a fast post, so I
didn’t do any research about what’s already been said about the subject.
Subsequent googling turns us this
article from
2000 about tuberculosis and Spanish influenza. This is much
later than my conversation with my friend, and includes an
argument for tuberculosis being a contributing factor that I
hadn’t remembered. Typical influenza deaths occur heavily in
infants and the elderly, but in 1918, there was also a spike in
20-30 year olds.
Very little of what I’ve read about the flu in Mexico addresses
this issue, but
this
piece from
the New York Times does point out that there were some deaths
among young adults, which was one of the factors that triggered the
concern on the part of the Mexican government.
