Swift, effective action is essential to face any crisis decisively. And, if it’s a global one like the COVID-19 pandemic, these actions need to be efficiently coordinated to increase their impact while lessening the initial threat. This is exactly what the PRACE COVID-19 Fast Track Call set out to achieve, by allocating thousands of years of computer simulations (free of charge) to help fight COVID-19. Now, the scientific community is reaping the lessons that stemmed from the initiative.