The paper briefly reviews pathogens causing acute respiratory viral infections (ARVIs), including influenza viruses; coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2; parainfluenza viruses, adenoviruses, pneumoviruses, and specifically respiratory syncytial virus and metapneumoviruses, enteroviruses, rhinoviruses, and bocaviruses. This review presents modern data on the structure and replication of viruses, epidemiology, and immunopathogenesis of diseases and on diagnostics, preventive vaccination, and antiviral drugs for the treatment of ARVIs. Special attention is paid to the SARS-CoV-2 virus caused COVID-19 pandemic with analyses of similarities and differences between COVID-19 and other ARVIs, first of all, influenza virus. Topical issues regarding ARVI vaccination and the search for new broad-spectrum antiviral drugs are discussed., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTERESTThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© Allerton Press, Inc. 2022, ISSN 0891-4168, Molecular Genetics, Microbiology and Virology, 2022, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 1–9. © Allerton Press, Inc., 2022.Russian Text © The Author(s), 2022, published in Molekulyarnaya Genetika, Mikrobiologiya i Virusologiya, 2022, No. 1, pp. 3–11.)