Both antigen testing and nucleic acid testing are important ways to screen for novel coronavirus infection, but they have certain differences in testing methods, accuracy of test results, scope of application and cost of testing. It is recommended that people at risk for novel coronavirus infection should choose the appropriate test according to their own situation in order to make a clear diagnosis as early as possible.1. Testing method: Antigen testing is simple, easy to operate, can be used at home, convenient and fast, and results are available in 15 minutes. The nucleic acid test must be carried out in the laboratory, requiring the operation of professional laboratory personnel, the test method is relatively complex, professional, long, slow results; 2, the accuracy of the test results: the antigen is the shell of the new coronavirus, the corresponding antigen is detected by the antibody wrapped in test paper. If the amount of antigen is very small, it is not easy to have a positive result. Compared with the nucleic acid test, the sensitivity is not as good as the nucleic acid test, because the nucleic acid test is amplified by PCR, and a smaller amount of viral specimens can significantly increase the amount of nucleic acid by amplification. In addition, antigen detection is prone to false positives if there is a protein component in the specimen that is similar to the viral antigen and reacts with the encapsulated antibody. While nucleic acid is the detection of viral genes, the test results are relatively more accurate; 3, the scope of application: antigen detection because the method is simple and easy to operate, the scope of application is broader. Isolation of the observer, close contact, sub-close contact, and even residents wishing to do their own testing, can also be antigen testing. This expands the screening range in a short time, detects the infected person of the virus in time, and reduces the spread of the virus. Nucleic acid testing is more specialized because the range of testers has certain limitations; 4. Detection cost: the new coronavirus has undergone continuous mutation, the speed of transmission is accelerated in a short period of time, and the number of virus-infected people is increasing, the cost of nucleic acid testing is high, and at the same time, due to the slow detection speed, it is not conducive to the early detection of cases, which is unfavorable to the prevention and control of the epidemic. While the cost of antigen detection is lower, easy to produce, which can reduce the social and economic burden, and the universal application of antigen detection, for early detection of cases, enhance the epidemic control, will have a strong value.