It was first called WOGS by hospital staff, which stands for Wrath Of God Syndrome, with reference to the sodomite community in SF.
I don't think I heard that one. But it would make sense -- there was fairly wide variance on the symptoms and life expectancies until death. The disease had so wide a path of symptoms which could be indications of something else contributing; conversely, it effected individuals not entirely the same. It didn't follow traditional epidemiologic patterns.