“If it were possible to wave a magic wand and make all Americans freeze in place for 14 days while sitting six feet apart, epidemiologists say, the whole epidemic would sputter to a halt.”

This is simply not true. It would come to a halt in that two week time period, but social distancing does nothing but extend the total time to “herd immunity”. Social distancing is not a “cure” for corona virus, it merely slows the spread of it so the health care systems can handle the newly infected.