The article discusses the rapid emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists are actively searching for antiviral drugs to treat the disease. Several drugs, including chloroquine, arbidol, remdesivir, and favipiravir, are undergoing clinical studies to test their efficacy and safety. The National Health Commission of China has included these drugs in its guidelines for treating COVID-19. Some drugs, such as interferon α (IFN-α), lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin, and arbidol, have shown preliminary efficacy. Favipiravir, a new RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor, has shown promising results in clinical trials, outperforming lopinavir/ritonavir in terms of antiviral action and fewer adverse effects. Remdesivir, another broad-spectrum antiviral, is also being tested in a phase III clinical trial. Other potential drugs include darunavir, TMPRSS2 inhibitors, and imatinib. A joint research team from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica and Shanghai Tech University identified 30 agents with potential antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, including traditional Chinese medicines. While these drugs show promise, their efficacy and safety need further confirmation through preclinical and clinical trials.The article discusses the rapid emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists are actively searching for antiviral drugs to treat the disease. Several drugs, including chloroquine, arbidol, remdesivir, and favipiravir, are undergoing clinical studies to test their efficacy and safety. The National Health Commission of China has included these drugs in its guidelines for treating COVID-19. Some drugs, such as interferon α (IFN-α), lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin, and arbidol, have shown preliminary efficacy. Favipiravir, a new RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor, has shown promising results in clinical trials, outperforming lopinavir/ritonavir in terms of antiviral action and fewer adverse effects. Remdesivir, another broad-spectrum antiviral, is also being tested in a phase III clinical trial. Other potential drugs include darunavir, TMPRSS2 inhibitors, and imatinib. A joint research team from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica and Shanghai Tech University identified 30 agents with potential antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, including traditional Chinese medicines. While these drugs show promise, their efficacy and safety need further confirmation through preclinical and clinical trials.