Viral respiratory tract infections are the most common human ailments, leading to enormous health and economic burden. Hundreds of viral species and subtypes have been associated with these conditions, with influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinoviruses being the most frequent and with the highest burden. When considering prevention or treatment of viral respiratory tract infections, potential targets include the causative pathogens themselves but also the immune response, disease transmission, or even just the symptoms. Strategies targeting all these aspects are developing concurrently, and several novel and promising approaches are emerging. In this perspective we overview the entire range of options and highlight some of the most promising approaches, including new antiviral agents, symptomatic or immunomodulatory drugs, the re-emergence of natural remedies, and vaccines and public health policies toward prevention. Wide-scale prevention through immunization appears to be within reach for respiratory syncytial virus and promising for influenza virus, whereas additional effort is needed in regard to rhinovirus, as well as other respiratory tract viruses.

病毒性呼吸道感染是最常见的人类疾病，导致巨大的健康和经济负担。数百种病毒种类和亚型与这些病症有关，其中流感病毒、呼吸道合胞病毒和鼻病毒是最常见且负担最高的病毒。在考虑预防或治疗病毒性呼吸道感染时，潜在的目标包括致病病原体本身，也包括免疫反应、疾病传播，甚至只是症状。针对所有这些方面的战略正在同时制定，并且一些新颖且有前途的方法正在出现。从这个角度来看，我们概述了整个选择范围，并重点介绍了一些最有前途的方法，包括新的抗病毒药物、对症或免疫调节药物、自然疗法的重新出现、以及疫苗和预防公共卫生政策。对于呼吸道合胞病毒，通过免疫进行大规模预防似乎是可以实现的，对于流感病毒也有希望，而对于鼻病毒以及其他呼吸道病毒，还需要付出更多努力。