emma samms black dress
Credit: David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

It’s been a long road and continues to be a difficult one for the ABC soap vet.

Fans have patiently been waiting for Emma Samms to return to General Hospital and in September, we reported that she was set to bring Holly back into the mix on Thursday, October 20 (new return date, due to a preemption). It’s been over two years since her big comeback to the ABC soap in September 2020, and though the actress has been open about her struggles with COVID, having contracted the virus twice since March that same year, which was the reason for her delayed daytime return, her fight is far from over.

Samms has been back in the studios since last month and in a recent interview with People, the actress revealed just how hard it’s been reintroducing herself into the daily grind on a soap set. She alerted producers that she couldn’t stand for a long period of time — if she did, she might fall over — and if she talked too much her voice could get raspy. “Basically, think senior citizen and not a fit one,” Samms explained. “Just think in those terms when you are writing for me.”

Dealing with fatigue, breathlessness, blood pressure changes and chronic ear ringing on a daily basis, Samms is very cautious about every move she makes. “If I look at a distance to walk, I think, ‘How unwell will I feel if I walk?’ I’m always clocking, ‘Where’s the nearest hospital?’” She went on to say that the “only safe place health-wise” for her is “to lie still in a quiet, dark room.”

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And she is not alone in feeling this way, millions are suffering from long COVID symptoms but Samms feels “really lucky” that the ABC soap has been “willing to accommodate” her in order to be able to bring Holly’s storyline back to the frontburner. In regards to her performance, executive producer Frank Valentini, who gave Samms his own parking spot, which is closer to the studio, stated, “You would never know there’s anything wrong with her. She puts every ounce of energy into it.”

Though she’s had the loving support of her husband, who made the trip to Los Angeles with her, the thought that her health issues could be permanent “is depressing.” However, in the big picture, Samms is thankful for those around her, including her grown kids, and stated, “Even with Long COVID, life is very good.”

Soaps.com continues to send Samms our well wishes.

While we’ve waited for answers surrounding Holly’s whereabouts, we’ve come up with 10 suspects who could be holding her captive in our photo gallery below.