Waiting is a part of any visit to the doctor's office. Now, when patients with flu-like symptoms go into any of the Family Medical Walk-In Clinics, they can sit in a separate room.

"We are trying to make it easy for the patient when they come in," said Brian Casey, manager of the Family Medical Walk-In Clinics.

It was quiet when we visited, but the manager said the patients come in waves.

"As soon as they are off work or school, they come right in," said Casey.

The clinic has seen an influx in people presenting symptoms of what typically comes a little later in the fall.

"We actually have already seen an increase in the number of patients with flu-like symptoms," said Dr. Dan Burke, medical director of the clinic.

When you get a gathering in a small office, the last thing you want is a breeding ground for the H1N1 virus. Aside from a separate sitting area, there's an alternative for people who don't want to risk any time in the waiting area.

"Even those patients that don't want to sit in here, fearing they may catch something, they can sit in their vehicle, leave a cell phone number, and we'll call them right away when it's their turn to come in and be seen," said Casey.

Once they're in the clinic, people can request a mask and use a dollop of hand sanitizer.

Avoiding exposure is one of the best ways to prevent getting the H1N1 virus. There's also the vaccine and those basic measures that doctors say are critical to staying healthy: "cleanliness; frequent hand-washing; when you do have symptoms, stay away from people; when you see other people with symptoms, stay away from them," said Burke.