Abstract： Novel coronavirus infection(COVID-19)has spread rapidly around the world since its emergence in 2019, with universal susceptibility of the population, causing hundreds of millions of infections and millions of deaths worldwide. Recently, the World Health Organization reconfirmed that COVID-19 is still a public health emergency of international concern. In order to ensure the early detection, identification and intervention of severe COVID-19 cases, reduce the disease severity and mortality, and further standardize the application of antiviral drugs for treatment, the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) has invited experts to develop the Expert Consensus on Antiviral Therapy of COVID-19 based on the Diagnosis and Treatment Guideline for COVID-19 ( Trial version 10) in January 2023. The expert consensus is an important document that systematically reviews, summarizes and analyzes the application of antiviral drugs for COVID-19 from a multidisciplinary perspective for the first time, and can provide guidance and reference for medical institutions at all levels in the selection of antiviral drugs for COVID-19. This article aims to interpret the main points of the expert consensus, including the current epidemiological situation and pathogenic characters of novel coronavirus, clinical characteristics and classification of COVID-19, focusing on the antiviral therapy, guidance for home treatment and post-discharge management of patients with COVID-19.