I just read the book about the 1918 flu epidemic with a similar virus. It was terrible. My grandfather died in that epidemic. He was well in the morning and dead by nightfall. My father who was 14 rode his horse around the parish for several months burying the dead, at 14. He never got it nor did my Mother.
But what is interesting is that the virulence of the 1918 virus varied over time. It was more killing early, then got less, then reemerged to be more killing later. And people died either very early or weeks later. Some pretty famous people died of this and the toll on health care workers was horrendous.
My guess is the contingency plans for this include forcing medical care people into service. That was on rec of the aftermath of 1918,,to commandeer all docs and nurses into national service. The dead in Phily were buried by priests.
The book is worth reading for a preview, it is not a pretty pic.
You know, I need to study up on the "Spanish Flu" a bit. What's the book called? I'll see if I can pick it up from the library.