Maxing Shigan Decoction，derived from Treatise on Cold Damage(Shang Han Lun) is the basic traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescription for the treatment of COVID-19，which plays an extremely important role in resisting the epidemic.It is used to treat asthma due to lung heat or warm febrile diseases with the pathogenesis of stagnation and block of external pathogens，phlegm-heat obstructing lung.Maxing Shigan Decoction is effective in treating respiratory infection，pneumonia，chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)，bronchial asthma and other diseases.In the treatment of asthma，the clinical dose of Gypsum Filrosum is 4 times that of Herba Ephedrae(the optimal dose is 24 g).While in the treatment of pneumonia，the amount of Gypsum Filrosum is mostly 5 times that of Herba Ephedrae.The targets involving in the antiviral and anti-inflammatory pharmacological effects of Maxing Shigan Decoction include interleukin 6(IL-6)，interleukin 17(IL-17)，tumor necrosis factor(TNF)，and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)，and the prescription is closely related to immune regulation(including mature T lymphocytes CD3+，CD4+，and CD8+) in clinical treatment of diseases.This paper reviewed the ancient literature on Maxing Shigan Decoction，the dose-response relationship in treating lung diseases，pharmacological action，modern basis and clinical research.The shortcomings of the existing research were summarized，and the paper proposed that future research should focus on the fingerprint of TCM compounds，pharmacodynamic mechanism，standard decoction and efficacy evaluation standards in the treatment of diseases.