15. The flu attacked communities for a relatively short time.
Although the pandemic lasted from 1918-1920 around the world, including in the United States, it did not ravage individual communities for that entire period, including during the deadliest period of the pandemic, the second wave. In most areas, the flu struck with ferocious speed, remained virulent in the area for about a month or so, and moved on, leaving the survivors to deal with the damage that it had done. The months in which it was at its peak in the United States were the months when epidemics were still fairly common in the larger cities and towns, particularly along the East Coast, including cholera and typhoid fever, which led the flu to draw little media attention.
In the United States and especially in war ravaged Europe, the flu was often considered to be a consequence of the ongoing war when it struck. Even in neutral Spain, which inadvertently gave the flu its name, it was considered to be a by-product of the global disaster of the Great War. Its economic impact was limited due to the overall impact of the war. Although individual communities suffered temporary losses, especially in service industries, they were limited by the short duration of the illness within their own areas, while the long-term economic impact of the war continued, masking much of the losses caused by the pandemic. The health care industry, and the pharmaceutical companies which made and sold aspirin, profited from the Spanish Flu.