The lack of effective etiotropic methods of treatment and prevention of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), which caused the pandemic in 2020, determines the relevance of the review of researches of medicines for etiotropic and pathogenetic therapy. Most patients are diagnosed with pneumonia, the disease is especially difficult in people with concomitant chronic diseases, since COVID-19 leads to their decompensation, which can lead to death. To assess risk factors for mortality, scientists are developing programs to transfer the patient to appropriate treatment in a timely manner. This article analyzes the clinical efficacy of various agents for etiotropic and pathogenetic treatment of a new coronavirus infection based on data from international researches. Etiotropic medicines used at the beginning of the pandemic did not show their effectiveness in reducing the duration of treatment, the development of death, and preventing the transition to the use of mechanical ventilation. There are described researches of vaccines against a new coronavirus infection, developed in the Russian Federation, the USA, Germany and the UK, which showed the greatest efficiency (more than 90%) in preventing COVID-19. The World Health Organization initiated the international clinical research SOLIDARITY, according to which all medicines participating in the trials have little or no effect on overall mortality, the onset of ventilation requirements and the length of hospital stay in hospitalized patients. Now, only systemic glucocorticosteroids have proven effective against severe and critical forms of COVID-19. Thus, effective etiotropic drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 have not been developing, however, an active search for these funds and the development of vaccines to prevent the incidence of coronavirus infection are underway.