How can I wrap text into one specific cell of my table in Latex?

Question

I have been working on this one table but the text of one cell refuses to wrap inside it and I can't figure why.

This is the code:

\setlength{\arrayrulewidth}{0.5mm}

\setlength{\tabcolsep}{16pt}

\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.5}

\begin{table}[H]

\begin{tabular}{|p{0.35\linewidth}|p{0.6\linewidth}|} 

\hline

\multicolumn{1}{|c|}{\textbf{Control Variable}}  & \textbf{Use} 
 \\ \hline

Number of COVID-19 cases     &   \\ \cline{1-1}

Number of COVID-19 related deaths  & \multirow{-2}{*}{Used as proxies for the level of contagion each country was experiencing.}  

\\ \hline

Overall Government Response Index     & Records how response of governments has varied over all indicators in the database, becoming stronger or weaker over course of the outbreak. 

\\ \hline

Stringency Index   & Records strictness of ‘lockdown style’ policies that restrict behavior 
\\ 
\hline

Economic Index   & Records measures such as income support and debt relief     \\ 

\hline

GDP per capita (current USD)   & \cellcolor Used as a proxy for development.    \\ 

\hline

Literacy rate, adult total (percentage of people ages 15 and above) & Percentage of people age 15+ who can read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.         
\\ 

\hline

Physicians (per 1000 people)                               &                    \\ \cline{1-1}

Hospital beds (per 1000 people)                            &                
\\ \cline{1-1}

Nurses and midwives (per 1000 people)    & \multirow{-3}{*}{Used as proxies for the strength of the health system.}        \\ 

\hline
Critical Fatality Rate    & The Critical Fatality Rate (CFR) is the ratio between the total number of cases and the total number of deaths from a determined illness, which in this case is COVID-19. This is a measure of the pandemic’s impact. \\ 

\hline

\end{tabular}

\caption{Table detailing all control variables and the purpose for including them}

\label{table:1}

\end{table}

This is the result:

The line I couldn't wrap is:

\multirow{-2}{*}{Used as proxies for the level of contagion each country was experiencing.}

How can I fix it?

Answer 1

The tabularray package makes merging cells a piece of cake:

\documentclass{article}
    
\usepackage{tabularray}

\begin{document}

\begin{table}[htbp]
\begin{tblr}{
  colspec={|X[valign=h]|X[valign=m]|},
  row{1}={font=\bfseries},
  cell{1}{1}={halign=c}
} 
\hline
Control Variable  & Use 
 \\ \hline
Number of COVID-19 cases     &  \SetCell[r=2]{} Used as proxies for the level of contagion each country was experiencing.   \\ \cline{1-1}
Number of COVID-19 related deaths  & 
\\ \hline
Overall Government Response Index     & Records how response of governments has varied over all indicators in the database, becoming stronger or weaker over course of the outbreak. 
\\ \hline
Stringency Index   & Records strictness of ‘lockdown style’ policies that restrict behavior 
\\ 
\hline
Economic Index   & Records measures such as income support and debt relief     \\ 
\hline
GDP per capita (current USD)   &  Used as a proxy for development.    \\ 
\hline
Literacy rate, adult total (percentage of people ages 15 and above) & Percentage of people age 15+ who can read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.         
\\ 
\hline
Physicians (per 1000 people)                               &  \SetCell[r=3]{}  Used as proxies for the strength of the health system.                 \\ \cline{1-1}
Hospital beds (per 1000 people)                            &                
\\ \cline{1-1}
Nurses and midwives (per 1000 people)    &         \\ 
\hline
Critical Fatality Rate    & The Critical Fatality Rate (CFR) is the ratio between the total number of cases and the total number of deaths from a determined illness, which in this case is COVID-19. This is a measure of the pandemic’s impact. \\ 
\hline
\end{tblr}
\caption{Table detailing all control variables and the purpose for including them}
\label{table:1}
\end{table}

\end{document}