The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to governments and societies across the globe, constituting a worldwide crisis of unprecedented magnitude. Nations have adopted diverse strategies and effectiveness in responding to this unprecedented disaster crisis. This study critically evaluates the strengths and limitations of each country in epidemic prevention and control by critically analysing three typical response models in Mainland China, Japan and South Korea, as well as the United States, and by incorporating key elements of crisis and disaster management, such as leadership and decision-making mechanisms, information management and communication, resource deployment, technological governance and social mobilisation capabilities. The study shows that China relied on strict containment and control measures and highly mobilised social resources to achieve remarkable results in the early stage of the epidemic, but faced the challenges of long-term control costs and increased social conflicts; Japan and South Korea achieved precise prevention and control through technological innovation and social cooperation; The United States, on the other hand, because of its emphasis on individual liberty and the dilemma of synergy and challenges to scientific consensus under federalism, has experienced wide variations in the effectiveness of outbreak prevention and control and faces problems of inconsistent policy implementation and uneven levels of public health. This paper proposes that the effectiveness of crisis and disaster management not only relies on the balance between institutional rigidity and social resilience, but also needs to consider the universality and adaptability of technology application, especially how to build an effective emergency response framework with the characteristics of local culture and resources.