If it had been bacterial meningitis, she would've already been dead by that point.
That information is not only absolutely false but, if it were actually belived by anyone reading your post on the Internet, could end up killing a child some day.
The purpose of a spinal tap is PRECISELY to identify bacterial meningitis so that it can be treated in a timely manner.
Untrested bacterial meningitis has a mortality rate of between 75% and 100%.
Risks of lumbar puncture include:
Hypersensitivity (allergic) reaction to the anesthetic.
Discomfort during the test.
Headache after the test.
Bleeding into the spinal canal.
Brain herniation (if performed on a person with increased intracranial pressure), and resulting in brain damage or death.
Damage to the spinal cord (particularly if the person moves during the test).
Cisternal puncture or ventricular puncture carry additional risk of damage to the brainstem or brain tissue and risk of bleeding within the brain; resulting in incapacitation or death.
What part of it is false? The viral meningitis cannot be treated part or the 7 days after the symptoms start bacterial meningitis would have killed her by that point?