Mid-2012 MacBook Pro running very slow

I have Mid-2012 MacBook Pro running MacOS Catalina. The current specs are 2.9GHZ i7, 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD. Just recently, my computer is very slow and takes 1-5 minutes to respond when logging into computer, clicking on an app, or typing anything in. I decided to try and boot into recovery and run a first aid but had no issues with the drive. Additionally, I did a recent update for Catalina which did not resolve the issue. In fact now I cannot logged into my computer because it freezes and when typing in my password in the sign in and press enter the computer has a spinning wheel. I additionally, try to replace the SSD with a new SSD however, the installation process is still taking a long period of time and same issues, when click on each option when setting up the new OS it takes several minutes. Has anyone dealt or seen an issue like this? Any help much appreciated!