Viruses infect humans and cause diseases through respiratory transmission, which is the most common pathogenic route for viruses. Viruses with respiratory transmission capabilities typically exhibit periodic and seasonal epidemic characteristics. Due to the wide variety of viruses and significant differences in their structures and life cycles, effective prevention and treatment drugs for various viruses are relatively scarce and have limited efficacy. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the repositioning of antiviral drugs, high-throughput screening and ligand-based drug design. This article systematically summarizes the approved drugs for several major viruses that primarily cause respiratory infections and reviews the latest research progress of antiviral drugs currently in clinical trials, aiming to provide a reference basis for the research and further development of antiviral drugs.