The COVID-19 pandemic began to spread globally in late 2019, with the first cases identified in Wuhan, China, in December of that year. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30, 2020, and later classified it as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The virus, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 strain, rapidly spread across the globe, leading to widespread health crises, economic disruptions, and changes in daily life. Governments implemented various measures to contain the spread, affecting travel, commerce, and social interactions on an unprecedented scale.