Here's why:
* The Red Death in the Story: The Red Death in Poe's story is a fictional disease that causes a quick and gruesome death, marked by bleeding and a violent fever. It is a symbol of death's inevitability and the futility of trying to escape it.
* No Real-Life Connection: The Red Death is a literary creation and has no basis in real-life history or medical knowledge. It's not related to any specific illness or any particular group of people.
* Poe's Personal Life: Edgar Allan Poe's own life was marked by tragedy, including the deaths of his wife Virginia and his mother-in-law. However, their deaths were not attributed to any disease called "Red Death."
It's possible that the confusion arose from a combination of the story's vivid imagery, the real-life tragedies in Poe's life, and perhaps some exaggeration or misinterpretation over time.