The threat of a global pandemic has been around for some time. Given the availability of knowledge gleaned from other health crises, it is fair to ask why Covid-19 left us less well prepared than we could, and perhaps should, have been. In this commentary, we focus on several unique research opportunities afforded by today’s pandemic to help advance our understanding of, and preparedness for, extreme contexts. In doing so, we highlight the potential of close-up, practice-sensitive approaches as a means of highlighting the geographic and temporal aspects of crises and emergencies.