The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the need to develop effective treatments to combat emerging viruses. Model systems that poorly represent a virus' cellular environment, however, may impede research and waste resources. Collaborations between cell biologists and virologists have led to the rapid development of representative organoid model systems to study severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We believe that lung organoids, in particular, have advanced our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, and have laid a foundation to study future pandemic viruses and develop effective treatments.